© Austris Augusts via Unsplash
The first Enhanced Games, a sporting event in which doping is explicitly allowed, will kick off in Las Vegas on Sunday. Forty athletes compete in swimming, sprinting and weightlifting, with prize money of up to a million dollars for whoever breaks a world record.
The event has been called "dangerous and irresponsible" by WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, and "immoral" by the International Olympic Committee .
The mastermind behind the Games is Australian entrepreneur Aron D'Souza, who in early 2023 brought on board tech billionaire Peter Thiel, Saudi Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed and crypto investor Christian Angermayer. Later, Donald Trump Jr. also joined. Their argument: doping exists in elite sports anyway, so it's better to use it openly and under medical supervision.
Drugs used, while banned by WADA, are approved by the U.S. regulator FDA. Critics, however, point out that medical supervision does not guarantee safety and too little is known about the long-term effects of many doping substances.
The financial appeal is strong for many athletes. British swimmer Ben Proud, winner of Olympic silver in Paris, admitted that for the same amount of money he would have to win 13 years of world titles.
Enhanced Games participants screen that they demonstrate more integrity than athletes who take banned substances and participate in regular competitions. "We have been open, honest and transparent from the beginning," American sprinter Shania Collins told the BBC. "So how can you question our integrity when we are so forthright about the information?"
Behind the Games, however, is a broader commercial agenda. The Enhanced Group also sells "protocols" of hormones, peptides and supplements aimed at the growing fitness and anti-aging market. This is a global market that involves about a thousand billion dollars each year. Co-founder Angermayer himself uses a cocktail of testosterone, steroids and diabetes medication to stay younger and live longer. Director Max Martin prefers to see Enhanced Games become the "Formula 1 of biotechnology."
Critics especially fear the social normalization of doping, especially among young people who are exposed to the results through social media without seeing the health risks."On social media you mainly see the great results, nothing about the health risks. A vulnerable group, people without athletic ambition that we call 'cosmetic athletes,' is sensitive to this," a spokesperson for the Dutch Doping Authority told NRC.
Meanwhile, the organization itself already considers the event a success: the stadium is within budget, sponsorship deals and a streaming contract have been signed, with guaranteed million dollars in revenue.
Illustration image: © Austris Augusts via Unsplash