Las Vegas: American sprint star and Olympic medallist Fred Kerley has taunted Gout Gout that he won’t be able to “handle the pressure” of the world stage before calling on the Australian prodigy to race him as a fellow clean athlete at the next Enhanced Games.
Kerley, who won silver and bronze medals in the 100m events at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, has confirmed this masthead’s report that he will not take performance-enhancing substances during the inaugural Enhanced Games, which begin on Sunday (Monday morning AEST) in Las Vegas.
The 31-year-old, who is serving a two-year ban for missing three compulsory drug tests within a 12-month period, said he still intended to compete at the 2028 Summer Olympics despite being the highest-profile athlete attached to the controversial new venture.
“I don’t need them [performance-enhancing drugs]. I don’t have to. You get the right to put whatever [you want] in your body,” Kerley said. “God gave me fast feet for a reason. I’m here to showcase my talent. I always knew I was the greatest.
“It won’t give me no disadvantage. I will compete at the Olympics in 2028. They can’t do nothing. I’m being tested every day by WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency], USADA [United States Anti-Doping Agency] and AIU [Athletics Integrity Unit]. They can show up at any given time.”
Kerley is not the only athlete competing clean in Las Vegas, with American swimmer Hunter Armstrong another who wants to race at a home Olympics in two years’ time.
The 2022 world champion described Gout as the “future” of sprinting and called on the 18-year-old, who has been training in the US with Paris Olympic gold medallist Noah Lyles, to chase the significant prizemoney on offer at a future Enhanced Games event.
If Kerley can run faster than Usain Bolt’s best time of 9.58 seconds, he will pocket a $US1 million ($1.4 million) bonus in addition to a winner’s cheque worth $US250,000 ($350,000). It won’t be ratified as an official world record.
“I have seen him [Gout]. He’s the next up. He’s the future of the sport and with the next generation,” Kerley said.
“It’s all about what he believes in. Anybody can come and compete. If you want to [Gout], come. You’ll still get destroyed.
“He’s still a kid. There would be so much in his head. I don’t think he can handle the pressure.”
Asked if he had any advice for Gout, Kerley said: “Don’t look on social media. Stay positive and keep on training to be the best you are. He’s a nice, fantastic athlete. He’s just got to handle the pressure.”
Gout, whose first major senior international meet was last year’s world championships in Japan, is highly unlikely to be tempted by an event branded by WADA as a “dangerous and irresponsible concept”.
Gout’s management declined to comment.
Kerley said his decision to join the Enhanced Games was primarily financial.
“My pocket is getting fatter. I’m blessed and they’ve treated us right,” Kerley said.
“I don’t need to prove nothing to nobody. If you get fired from your job today, you’ve got to look for your next job. At the end of the day, my kids have got to eat.
“The sport [of athletics] has not really paid me [in the past]. I’m getting paid by sponsorship.”
Kerley has a personal best of 9.76 seconds in the 100m, nearly two-tenths slower than Bolt’s world record set in 2009.
Asked about Bolt’s mark, Kerley would only say he expected to run “fast” on a “bouncy” track built at Resorts World Las Vegas, metres from a swimming pool and weightlifting arena.
Kerley’s hopes of competing at another Olympics appear remote given he owns shares in Enhanced Group (the parent company of the Games). The International Olympic Committee has also labelled the Enhanced Games “utterly irresponsible and immoral”. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe described the concept as “bollocks”.
Kerley is adamant he has previously competed against athletes using performance-enhancing drugs.
“You definitely know a couple of camps that take it but don’t get caught,” Kerley said.
“It definitely will expose what’s going on in track and field. Some of the world records haven’t been broken in years. You know what they were on back in the day.”
Asked about the hypocrisy of promoting a company that is selling substances, such as testosterone and peptides to the public, Kerley said: “It’s a business at the end of the day. You got to sell to somebody. I own shares in the company, so more power to it.”
Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
