Athletes warn against potential health risks of ‘dangerous, unethical' Enhanced Games
Australian swimmer and former Olympian James Magnussen will compete in the inaugural Enhanced Games event in Las Vegas in May 2026.
Australian swimmer and former Olympian James Magnussen will compete in the inaugural Enhanced Games event in Las Vegas in May 2026. Photograph: Daniel Boud/The Guardian
A group of prominent Australian athletes including former Olympic diver Melissa Wu and Diamonds netballer Natalie Butler (nee Medhurst) has taken aim at the Enhanced Games after the 'superhumanity' startup confirmed plans for its first event next year in Las Vegas, where former world champion Dolphin James Magnussen is expected to take part.
The inaugural Enhanced Games planned for next May will include medical screening and individualised health profiling for the sprinting, swimming and weightlifting events as well as oversight by independent scientific and ethics boards to address widespread concerns for the safety of those who take part.
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But Sport Integrity Australia's six-member Athlete Advisory Group, which also includes rugby sevens representative Ben O'Donnell and gymnast Alexandra Kiroi-Bogatyreva, issued a plea on Thursday for athletes to resist the lure of prize money and recognise their status as role models in society by staying clean.
Related: Pro-doping Enhanced Games to debut in Las Vegas with Trump Jr backing
'The normalisation of performance-enhancing drugs promotes doping as entertainment, putting athletes at risk, and devalues the efforts of those who choose to compete clean,' the athlete advisory group said.
'We are concerned about the negative role modelling impact on young athletes in particular, and the related health risks of using performance-enhancing substances or methods that may be inadvertently viewed as safe.'
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SIA said the proposed health safety measures around next year's event have not changed its view of the concept, which the agency described as 'dangerous, unethical and damaging to sport'.
'We work to ensure that sport is safe and fair for all,' SIA chief executive Sarah Benson said.
'The Enhanced Games is promoting the complete opposite and poses a significant risk to athlete's health and safety while undermining the fundamental values of sport in Australia.'
The Enhanced Games hopes to draw former elite athletes such as Magnussen with prize money, including $777,000 (US$500,000) for each event and $1.55m (US$1m) for anyone who breaks a recognised world record.
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The participants will be required to disclose what substances they use, as organisers promise 'advances in medical science'.
SIA's new Athlete Advisory Group was announced this week after 70 applications. Their first public act was to express concern over the Enhanced Games.
'For athletes considering participation, we strongly urge them to reconsider and fully understand the health risks not only to themselves, but also the influence their choices may have on young athletes who look up to them and emulate their choices,' the advisory group said.
'Informed decision-making is critical, especially when it comes to your health, your legacy, and the integrity of the sport.'
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