Extended games fail as Curley pulls off a dubious victory

Fred Curley wins the ‘steroid Olympics’ 100m in 9.97 as Britain’s Rhys Prescod clocks 10.48, over half a second off his best.

After all the hype and controversy, the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas on Sunday (May 24) didn’t produce any surprising performances. If anything, the athletes looked diminished as opposed to enhanced, although men’s 100m winner Fred Curley insisted he had not taken drugs as he clocked 9.97 (0.3).

The 2022 world champion, who has a best of 9.76, ended up running two-tenths of a second slower than in bona fide competition.

Rhys Prescod, the British athlete criticized by fans for taking part, had lower figures. The 30-year-old, who ran 9.93 in 2022, clocked 10.48 to finish fifth out of six men.

These Extended Games featured just one track and field event, with Barbados’ Tristan Evelyn winning the women’s race in 11.25 (0.3), against her personal best of 11.14. Like Curley, he also insisted he did not use drugs.

In the men’s race, sprinters were also placed in the starting block four times due to false starts and untied shoes.

The only athlete to win the $1 million bonus for going faster than the world record on the night of swimming, weightlifting and athletics was Kristian Gkolomeev, who finished the night swimming the 50m freestyle in 20.81 seconds.

Curley, meanwhile, earned $250,000 for winning the men’s 100m.