Usain Bolt’s 100m world record could finally fall as banned sprinter eyes $1m payday

Despite being banned from sprinting for two years, an American sprinter claiming to be faster than Usain Bolt will be returning to the track to try to break the long-standing 100m record.

American sprinter Fred Kerley was previously crowned as the 100 metre world champion, but was suspended for anti-doping whereabouts failures.

Kerley's ban from Olympic and World Championship events was enforced in X, just a few months after he was arrested with allegations of violence against his ex-wife.

Having missed the most recent World Championships in Tokyo, after his suspension was enforced by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Kerley has been taking to social media with claims of beating Bolt's sprinting records.

Now, he's returning to the track in the inaugural pilot of the controversial 'Enhanced Games'.

Fred Kerley returns in Enhanced Games with $1m prize for breaking Bolt's record

Debuting in 2026, the Enhanced Games will allow athletes who have been banned for performance-enhancing reasons to participate.

Set to be held in Las Vegas on the Memorial Day weekend, the event has coughed up a massive $25m prize pot and has already begun attracting athletes like British swimmer Ben Proud.

Kerley has now announced that he will be among the competitors, as the first American and track athlete to be named.

"I'm looking forward to this new chapter and competing at the Enhanced Games," said Kerley.

"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."

The Enhanced Games has put a bounty on the head of Usain Bolt's 100m world record (9:58 seconds), with $1m going to any athlete who can break it.

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As an Olympic bronze medalist at Paris 2024, lagging a split second behind Noah Lyles, Kerley has also previously posted a videos on social media which supposedly show him beating Bolt's 150m world record by 0.34 seconds.

Now 30 years old, Kerley would face a huge task on his hands to shave more than two-tenths of a second off his 9:76 PB, though.

In fact, scientists have claimed that he would stand a better chance if he went for the 200m record (19:19) instead.

The entire spectacle of the Enhanced Games, backed by Donald Trump Jr, has been ridiculed by athletes and scientists alike, with many in the belief that the PED impact could be irreversible.