When three-time World Champion Fred Kerley joined the Enhanced Games last September, the athletics world was shocked. But Kerley’s reason was clear. He wanted to push his limits and become the fastest human to ever live. And just four months later, another World Championships bronze medallist has now followed in his footsteps. Although his story seems little about ambition and a lot more about compensation.

Reece Prescod, the 4x100m relay bronze medalist from the 2022 Worlds in Eugene, has come out of retirement to compete at the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas this May. Prescod, after hanging up his spikes in August, now reverses his decision to become the fourth male sprinter after Fred Kerley, Mouhamadou Fall, and Emmanuel Matadi to join the Enhanced Games. However, he sounds full of hope about this opportunity.

“I’m very excited to join the sprinting field and compete in the inaugural Enhanced Games,” said Prescod on the subject of his decision.

Further giving props to the Enhanced Games team, Prescod remarked, “The Enhanced medical team is top-tier and has prioritised my safety and well-being from the start. Enhanced has provided me with life-changing medical supervision, exceptional training support, and a fantastic compensation model.”

Indeed, Enhanced Games’ pay model may have been one of their main selling points so far. Multiple joiners, including Cody Miller, the Olympic Champion swimmer’s reasons have echoed the same sentiment, “These athletes are being paid like professionals, and they’re given the resources that they deserve, the medical attention that they deserve.”

However, for a veteran athlete like Prescod, the Enhanced Games further open the door to potential benefits. His 9.93s personal best puts him among Team Great Britain’s four fastest men in history. He is also now the third Enhanced Games sprinter after Fred Kerley and Matadi to have a history of under-10-second timings, which boosts his chances to grab the $250,000 first-place prize pot or the $1,000,000 world record bonus.

But, as good as it may sound for him, not everyone is happy with this decision. As the sprint world stands divided between the Enhanced Games and the athletic rulebook.

Fred Kerley leads a growing roster amid rising concerns

As soon as the announcement came in, UK Athletics chief Jack Buckner was quick to slam Prescod’s decision, saying it goes against everything track has ever stood for. “Those of us who have competed know what it takes to succeed the right way – through talent, dedication, and respect for the rules…To see a British athlete aligning themselves with an event that celebrates the use of performance-enhancing drugs is profoundly disappointing,” he clarified.

But that’s not all. In the past, even Brett Clothier, head of the Athletics Integrity Unit, has raised concerns over such controversial decisions. “Among our biggest concerns is the health of Fred Kerley and other athletes who sign up for the Enhanced Games. It’s clearly sort of grotesque, and I think athletes are being used,” he said.

Although it’s not just Prescod or Fred Kerley. Until now, more than 21  athletes have signed up for Enhanced Games, while well-established sports organisations and anti-doping bodies continue to disapprove of this event. Some bodies have even taken action, like the International Ice Swimming Association, which suspended Cody Miller’s membership after he signed up with the Enhanced Games.

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Whether or not Athletic bodies would follow the same route is yet to be seen. Do you think they should? Let us know in the comments below!