“Career Is Over!”: Track & Field Community Left Fuming Over Fred Kerley’s Recent Life Decision

Fred Kerley’s athletic career has reached a critical juncture following his provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in August 2025 for three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period, a violation that could result in a two-year ban from competition. The 30-year-old sprinter, a two-time Olympic medalist and 2022 world champion in the 100 meters, has seen his conventional track career effectively halted by this suspension, which came amid a tumultuous year that also included legal troubles and inconsistent performances.

This development has forced Kerley, the seventh-fastest man in history with a personal best of 9.76 seconds, to seek alternative competitive avenues, leading to a decision that has sparked outrage across the track and field world.

The controversy reached its peak when Track World News on Instagram reported, stating, “Fred Kerley has become the first track and field athlete to sign with the Enhanced Games. The Enhanced Games is a competition happening in Las Vegas in 2026 which will allow for athletes to use performance enhancing drugs.”

This announcement confirmed Kerley’s alignment with the controversial event that explicitly permits performance-enhancing substances under medical supervision, marking a radical departure from traditional athletic values.

The Enhanced Games, founded by Australian entrepreneur Aron D’Souza and backed by investors including Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr., promises substantial financial incentives, including a $1 million bonus for breaking the 100m world record of 9.58 seconds. However, the track and field community has reacted with widespread condemnation to Kerley’s decision.

They didn’t like Fred Kerley agreeing to participate in the Enhanced Games

Enhanced Games really flips the script on what we usually think of when it comes to track and field. It seems like a lot of fans weren’t too thrilled about Fred Kerley deciding to compete in this event. One fan commented, “Well his running career is over! Maybe it is time for him to move on and go into another profession.” This fan casually pointed out, “Oh so he’s like… done.” This comment really brings up the main ethical question about the event, asking, “So does that mean he is using performance enhancing drugs? Is this an open admission to cheating?”

Even Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, has called the Enhanced Games “bollocks” and “a dangerous clown show.” He warned that any athlete who takes part could end up facing long bans from World Athletics events.

But you can really see this fan’s worry for the sport’s future in their expression, as they said, “Mann this about to be the end of track and field.” After checking out Kerley’s recent controversies in 2025, this fan said, “Mann this about to be the end of track and field.” Kerley’s choice to join the Enhanced Games is quite a shift from the usual athletics scene. It’s a bold move that seems to swap his Olympic legacy for a money-focused experiment, and a lot of folks think it might be the end of his well-known career.