Olympic bronze medallist Fred Kerley has received further backlash for his decision to join the controversial Enhanced Games.
The Enhanced Games will allow competing athletes to take usually-banned performance-enhancing drugs.
It is scheduled to take place for the first time in 2026 and now Kerley has become the first track athlete to sign up, a week after British swimmer Ben Proud announced he was taking part.
The American sprinter has already been facing criticism after being provisionally suspended for missing three doping tests.
He is alleged to have committed an anti-doping whereabouts violation and could now receive a two-year ban.
Kerley, who won bronze at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and 100m gold at the 2022 World Championships, is set to contest the allegation.
The 30-year-old revealed that he had signed up for the Enhanced Games with a post on social media.
“I’m looking forward to this new chapter and competing at the Enhanced Games,” he wrote on X.
“The world record has always been the ultimate goal of my career.
“This now gives me the opportunity to dedicate all my energy to pushing my limits and becoming the fastest human to ever live.”
Usain Bolt is the current 100m world record holder with his remarkable time of 9.58 seconds.
Should Kerley beat that at the Enhanced Games, he would claim $1m (£730,000) as a bonus prize awarded by the event.
Kerley is an Olympic medal winner but he’s now facing a two-year ban and set to compete in the Enhanced GamesGetty‘It’s a gimmick’
British athlete Jake Wightman has admitted he’s not a fan of the Enhanced Games after finding out the news of Kerley joining.
Wightman won silver in a thrilling men’s 1500m final at the World Championships in Tokyo on Wednesday.
And following that success, he gave his thoughts on the controversial event and Kerley getting involved to talkSPORT.
“I’ve been very focused on the race and stuff that’s happened off the back of it, I’ve just heard brief bits about it,” Wightman said.
“It’s obviously not something that myself and clean athletes would support. I don’t know why he’d want to do it.
“He’s obviously got his own reasons, but I hope it doesn’t get the attention that clean sport gets.
Wightman is not a fan of the Enhanced Games and labelled them a gimmick after winning silver at the World ChampionshipsMartin Rickett/PA Wire“You hope that people just see it like a gimmick, like it is.
“You really realise how hard the athletes at these games actually have to work to try and produce these amazing performances.”
Wightman was then asked whether he’d ever consider taking part in the Enhanced Games in the future.
He replied: “No. It doesn’t really seem real. I didn’t think it was.
“Now you see the athletes signing up, it appears it is. But I’m not going to pay much attention to it.
“I don’t think I’ll be watching it because it isn’t much more than a publicity stunt really.”
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