Niamh Shackleton
Track and field star Fred Kerley is ditching the traditional Olympics to take part in the Enhanced Games.
Kerley is best known for winning silver in the 100m at the Tokyo 2020 Games (which were hosted in 2021 after being postponed for 12 months because of the pandemic), and a bronze medal in the 4x400m relay from London 2017.
The 31-year-old has also bagged an additional six medals at the World Championships, taking home gold in the 2022 competition for the 100m.
But Kerley is currently in the middle of two-year suspension from The Athletics Integrity Unit, which oversees doping cases for World Athletics. The decision was announced in March and comes after Kerley missed drug tests, ESPN reported.
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A tribunal found that the Olympian had been 'negligent and, to a certain extent, reckless in not adhering to anti-doping regulations'.
But this won't be an issue for Kerley when it comes to the Enhanced Games, which will be held over Memorial Day weekend.
The Enhanced Games differs from other sporting competitions as it allows athletes to use performance-enhancing substances without being subject to drug tests. Some substances, such as cocaine and heroine, are not permitted. Only things approved by the America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can be taken, BBC Sport reports.
The concept was created by Australian businessman Aron D'Souza, who believes that athletes should be able to do whatever they want with their bodies.
The sports involved at the games includes swimming, weightlifting, track, and strongman.
The website describes the upcoming event as 'a new global sports competition where elite athletes push the limits of human performance'.
The events start on May 21 and will run until May 24.
Athletes taking part in the Enhanced Games can win money for simply taking part.
In swimming, for example, the winner can get a $250,000 cash prize, says Swim Swam, but all competitors will be financially compensated.
There's also 'world record' bonuses for athletes who swim under the official world record time in their events.
Meanwhile, in the track events that Kerley will be taking part in, all seven competitors will get a monetary reward for taking part. The athlete that comes in first will get $250,000, in comparison the person who comes in seventh who will get $20,000.
$250,000 is the top prize across all sports, while athletes can take home an extra $1,000,000 for breaking a world record.
Only one day of the Enhanced Games will be available to stream online.
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 games will also be streamed on Roku Channel, with coverage starting at starting at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT.