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First Jamaican joins Enhanced Games ranks - Shockoria Wallace to compete in the controversial competition that allows sports doping
January 14, 2026
Retired women's 100 metres sprinter Shockoria Wallace is the first Jamaican to sign up for the controversial Enhanced Games, which allows athletes to compete while taking performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision.
Wallace confirmed her participation in a video posted to her Instagram page on Monday.
"I am officially announcing that I am now a member of the Enhanced Games team," Wallace said in the video.
"I am proud and I am excited to go on this journey with Enhanced Games."
One of the lures of the Enhanced Games is the promised cash prizes for athletes to compete, as well as a payment of US$1 million on offer if an athlete is able to break a world record.
Wallace said the Enhanced Games is a new opportunity and one that can provide other platforms for athletes to compete.
"They do provide a lot for athletes. They do provide a lot of opportunities for athletes, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be working with them moving forward."
She is one of several athletes to confirm their participation in the Enhanced Games, which will see competitions in three sporting disciplines - track and field, swimming and weightlifting.
Fred Kerley, the 2022 World 100 metres champion and silver medallist Marvin Bracy-Williams have both confirmed they will compete in the Games.
Both Americans, at the time of joining the Enhanced Games, were suspended from track and field, with Kerley serving a provisional suspension for 'whereabouts failure', while Bracy was serving a 45-month suspension for testing positive for a banned substances as well as a 'whereabouts failure'.
With the allowance for doped performance, Wallace said athletes are under no pressure to take performance-enhancing drugs to compete in the competition.
"I would like to say that there is literally no pressure for athletes at Enhanced Games to take enhancements.
"They gave us the choice to compete naturally or to compete enhanced, while under medical supervision."
CRITICISM
However, the Enhanced Games have faced harsh criticisms and a major pushback by several world sporting organisations.
In May last year, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) strongly warned athletes against competing at the Enhanced Games.
WADA said the Enhanced Games are in major violation of its anti-doping rule, and those involved in the competition run the risk of being barred from the sport, as well as ruining their reputations.
"WADA warns athletes and support personnel who wish to participate in sport regulated by the World Anti-Doping Code (Code), that if they were to take part in the Enhanced Games, they would risk committing anti-doping rule violations under the Code," the agency said last year in May.
Dr Warren Blake, Chairman of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association's (JAAA) Medical Commission had also spoken out against the Enhanced Games and the dangers it could pose on athletes.
Blake said while medical supervision may prevent any short-term effects, several performance-enhancing drugs carry long-term effects.
"They have long-term, bad side effects for the athletes, and they will destroy the athlete's health overtime and I think that it is wrong to be encouraging athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs," Blake said.
The inaugural Enhanced Games will be held on May 24 in Las Vegas.
