In July, Fred Kerley pulled out of the USATF championships staged in Eugene, Oregon. With his first missed trial since 2017, he also became ineligible to compete in the Tokyo World Athletics Championships. Adding to his troubles was AIU’s verdict to provisionally suspend him for anti-doping whereabouts violation when he missed three doping tests in a 12-month period. Although Kerley has appealed for AIU’s decision, with financial needs and a determination to compete, his hands were forced. Consequently, he signed with the 2026 Enhanced Games.

The Enhanced Games’ official Instagram profile broke the historic announcement, stating: “Fred Kerley joins the Enhanced Games. FIRST TRACK ATHLETE. FIRST AMERICAN MALE ATHLETE. He will race the 100m in Las Vegas, May 2026. WORLD RECORD BONUS 100m (9.58): $1,000,000.” The event explicitly allows performance-enhancing substances (PEDs) under medical supervision, marking a significant shift in his relationship with competitive sports governance.

For Fred Kerley, whose 2025 season has been marred by nothing but troubles, this move represents an opportunity to rebuild his career on entirely new terms. Reflecting on his decision, Kerley stated, “I’m looking forward to this new chapter and competing at the Enhanced Games. 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.”

Before this season’s troubles, the seventh fastest man in history, with a record of 9.76 seconds, had a full resume boasting his talents. In last summer’s Paris Olympics, he won the bronze medal, trailing the winner Noah Lyles by only 0.02 seconds. Before that, Kerley won the 100m event in Eugene last year and a silver in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Although he would’ve liked to continue his career as a USATF athlete, for now, he has his eyes set on breaking the world record.

In the Enhanced Games set for May 24, 2026, at Resorts World in Las Vegas, breaking a world record could bring $1M bonus apart from 250,000 for the winners. For Kerley, Usain Bolt’s untouched world record of 9.58 seconds is the goal. Kerley’s decision follows his vehement denial of intentional wrongdoing regarding his doping violations. Through his lawyers, he argued that “one or more of his alleged missed tests should be set aside either because he was not negligent or because the Doping Control Officer did not do what was reasonable under the circumstances to locate him.” But it wasn’t the first time that the American got himself into a situation with the USADA.

Back in March 2024, as well, he tested positive for a metabolite of the anabolic steroid trenbolone. However, the U.S Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) determined later in June that the positive results came from contaminated meat. The AIU has appealed the no-fault or negligence decision by USADA.

On the other hand, the Enhanced Games, which openly embrace pharmacological enhancement, effectively remove the regulatory constraints that led to Kerley’s provisional suspension. However, news around him did attract other athletes to weigh in with their own perspectives.

Aaron Brown gets candid about the whole Fred Kerley situation

Fred Kerley’s suspension announcement really threw his career into a bit of a tailspin. Fans and fellow athletes were left to ponder what his missed tests could mean for his future in the sport. At that precise moment, Aaron Brown, who had been disqualified from the 200 meters at the Stockholm Diamond League for a false start, shared his thoughts on Kerley’s situation.

Sympathizing, he said, “Yeah. It’s really unfortunate. You know, I like Fred as a person, and he’s obviously a great talent. He has pulled out some great performances over the years, including his world championship win back in 2022. And he’s always a guy that you can’t count out. So, like to have him out, you know, it’s it’s a big blow to the sport.”

Indeed, Kerley’s suspension also means that the USATF will not have a leg in the relay events at the World Championships. For now, only time will really show if Kerley can bounce back in the Enhanced Games and ultimately find his way back.