Track and field sprinter Fred Kerley is opting out of the usual Olympic pathway to compete at the Enhanced Games.
Kerley is widely recognised for claiming silver in the 100m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics (staged in 2021 after a 12-month pandemic delay). He also earned bronze as part of the 4x400m relay team at London 2017.
Now 31, he has added a further six World Championships medals to his collection, including 100m gold in 2022.
However, Kerley is currently serving a two-year ban issued by the Athletics Integrity Unit, the body that handles anti-doping matters for World Athletics. The sanction was confirmed in March after he missed drug tests, according to ESPN.
A tribunal concluded the athlete had been ‘negligent and, to a certain extent, reckless in not adhering to anti-doping regulations’.
That suspension is not expected to prevent him from appearing at the Enhanced Games, which are scheduled for Memorial Day weekend.
The Enhanced Games set themselves apart by allowing competitors to use performance-enhancing substances without standard drug testing. Certain drugs, including cocaine and heroine, remain prohibited, and BBC Sport reports that only substances approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are allowed.
The idea comes from Australian entrepreneur Aron D’Souza, who argues athletes should have the freedom to decide what they do with their own bodies.
Sports on the programme include swimming, weightlifting, track, and strongman events.
Organisers describe the meet as ‘a new global sports competition where elite athletes push the limits of human performance’.
Competition is set to run from May 21 through May 24.
Participants can also earn money simply for lining up and competing.
In swimming, for instance, Swim Swam reports the winner can take home $250,000, while every swimmer in the field will receive financial compensation.
There are also bonuses tied to performances that beat official world record times in the pool.
For the track races Kerley is set to contest, prize money is paid through all placings: every one of the seven competitors receives a payout. First place earns $250,000, while seventh place still collects $20,000.
The $250,000 figure is listed as the top standard prize across the sports, with an additional $1,000,000 available for breaking a world record.
Only one day of the Enhanced Games will be available to watch via online streaming.
Its website states: “The inaugural Enhanced Games emanate live from Las Vegas on Sunday, May 24, signaling a new era of sport on Memorial Day Weekend 2026.
“The one-night spectacle kicks off with the Opening Events at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT on YouTube, Rumble, Twitch and Kick, as weightlifting and swimming athletes target new heights and world records across Snatch, Clean & Jerk and select men’s swim races.”
The event will also be shown on the Roku Channel, with coverage beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT.