UKA chief 'appalled' as Prescod joins Enhanced Games

UK Athletics' chief executive says he is "appalled" after Great Britain sprinter Reece Prescod joined the controversial Enhanced Games.

In a statement in The Times,, external Prescod said he was "very excited" about joining the event, which allows athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs that are banned in mainstream sport.

Its inaugural competition is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas in May.

The 29-year-old Prescod announced his retirement last August after a career in which he took part in three World Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, but he now intends to run again.

"I'm very excited to join the sprinting field and compete in the inaugural Enhanced Games," Prescod said in the statement.

"I'm eager to push myself to new heights in Las Vegas and race against my fellow sprinters. This is a new chapter for me, and I'm excited to be part of something where I feel valued and talent is recognised."

In response, UKA chief Jack Buckner said: "As a former athlete, I find this particularly appalling.

"Those of us who have competed know what it takes to succeed the right way - through talent, dedication, and respect for the rules.

"To see a British athlete aligning themselves with an event that celebrates the use of performance-enhancing drugs is profoundly disappointing."

Prescod is the second British athlete to join the Enhanced Games after Olympic swimmer Ben Proud, who said in September he did not feel his decision was "undermining a clean sport".

Prescod is the fourth fastest British man over 100m, with a personal best of 9.93 seconds.

He reached the 100m semi-finals at Tokyo 2020 in his only appearance at an Olympics.

In a statement, UKA said it did not recognise the Enhanced Games as a "legitimate sporting competition" and said it "places athletes' health and welfare at serious risk".

UKA added it was "disappointed" by Prescod's decision to take part, stating that "any event that promotes or permits the use of harmful substances with the aim of pushing the human body to its limit for short-term goals is not sport as we value it".

"Over the years British athletes have experienced the devastating impact of doping, through losing the opportunities afforded from winning major medals, receiving recognition only years later, or by having medals removed, so it is disappointing to see a former team member demonstrate disregard in this manner," it added.

"UKA's clean athletics policy is clear: doping and the use of prohibited substances or methods will not be tolerated.

"While Reece Prescod is no longer part of the UKA performance system, his decision to associate with an event that directly contravenes both our policy and the World Anti-Doping Code is unacceptable.

"Generations of British athletes have built their reputations on talent, dedication, and integrity. The Enhanced Games stands in direct opposition to those values."

Prescod, who was British 100m champion in 2017 and 2018, defended his decision to sign up by saying: "The Enhanced medical team is top-tier and has prioritised my safety and well-being from the start.

"Enhanced has provided me with life-changing medical supervision, exceptional training support, and a fantastic compensation model."

Chris Jones, chief communications officer for the Enhanced Games, said: "We are delighted to welcome an international sprinter of Reece's calibre to the Enhanced team, and we look forward to having him compete this coming May in Las Vegas.

"Enhanced's mission is to deliver transparency and unmatched health safety by removing the stigma of enhancement – bringing its responsible usage into the light, within an approved medical framework, and one that protects athletes who would otherwise risk their health by operating in the dark to circumvent punitive structures in place today.

"Contrary to the breathless and inaccurate assertions made about the Enhanced Games, our athletes are empowered to choose whether to enhance under sustained clinical supervision using legal substances currently approved for use in the United States."

The Enhanced Games launched as a concept in 2023, with some doping measures permitted under medical supervision.

Only substances approved by the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can be taken, which is different to the list the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) allows for elite athletes.

The event has been criticised for endangering athletes' health and undermining fair play, with Wada describing it as a "dangerous and irresponsible project", external and Travis Tygart, chief executive of the US Anti-Doping Agency, calling it a "clown show"., external

The Enhanced Games are planned to be an annual competition, initially comprising short-distance swimming, sprinting and weightlifting, with the inaugural event set to be held in Las Vegas on 24 May 2026.

The event offers appearance fees and bonuses, with Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev receiving a prize of $1m (£739,000) for beating a world record time in the US in February 2025.

Organisers said he swam 20.89 seconds in a 50m freestyle time trial, 0.02 seconds quicker than the world record set by Brazil's Cesar Cielo in December 2009, although the time will not be recognised by World Aquatics.