Sprinter Fred Kerley says he's running clean at Enhanced Games, and that he'll be at the LA Olympics

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sprinter Fred Kerley revealed that he is not taking performance enhancers as he embarks on the next phase of a career that officially kicks off Sunday at the Enhanced Games, where drugs are allowed.Another surprise: The 2022 world champion at 100 meters, banned from the regular track circuit until August 2027 for missing tests required by a system he portrayed as disrespectful and intrusive, has every intention of being on another starting line.“I will compete at the LA Olympics in 2028,” he said.When Kerley signed onto the Enhanced Games roster, he became their most recognizable name and gave the new enterprise a headliner it had been missing.Some six months later came his two-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit for missing tests, a violation of the antidoping code that doesn’t necessarily mean an athlete is taking drugs.

The 31-year-old Kerley, who bet on himself after the COVID-19 pandemic when he successfully gave up the 400-meter grind for the 100-meter straightaway, insisted it was the multimillion-dollar contract, not the prospect of taking performance enhancers, that led him to the breakaway league.“I don’t need it,” he said. “God gave me fast feet for a reason. I’m here to showcase my talent. You still have to work. Drugs aren’t going to give you an advantage if you’re not putting the work in.”