Olympics-Style Regulated Roid Rage? WADA Slams Drug-Fueled 'Enhanced Games'
Published By :
Siddarth Sriram
AFP
Last Updated:
Athletes will be allowed to use drugs that are banned across international sport, such as steroids and human growth hormones, with winners of each event receiving $250,000.
(Credit: X)
Anti-doping bodies on Thursday condemned plans for the first edition of the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, an Olympics-style event where athletes will be free to use performance-enhancing drugs.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and bodies across the world have taken aim at the event after organizers revealed the date, venue, and format for the competition.
The Enhanced Games will be staged in Las Vegas in May 2026, with athletes participating in three sports — athletics, swimming, and weightlifting.
Athletes will be allowed to use drugs that are banned across international sport, such as steroids and human growth hormones, with winners of each event receiving $250,000, and a bonus of $1 million for anyone who breaks a world record.
Aron D'Souza, the Australian entrepreneur who is the founder of the event, says the Enhanced Games are an exercise in testing the boundaries of human performance.
'The Enhanced Games is renovating the Olympic model for the 21st century," D'Souza said on Wednesday as details of the games were revealed.
'We are here to move humanity forward," D'Souza said. 'The old rules didn't just hold back athletes, they held back humanity.
'We are not just organising competition, we are in the business of unlocking human potential. We are the vanguard of super-humanity."
The Enhanced Games will take place from May 21-24 at the Resorts World hotel in Las Vegas.
Swimming will hold 100m and 50m freestyle events, along with 100m and 50m butterfly.
Athletics events include the 100m and 100m and 110m hurdles. Weightlifters will compete in the snatch and clean & jerk disciplines.
WADA, the global anti-doping watchdog, on Thursday condemned plans for the event as 'dangerous", voicing concern it could lead athletes around the world to dabble in illicit substances with potentially deadly consequences.
'WADA condemns the Enhanced Games as a dangerous and irresponsible concept," the agency said in a statement. 'The health and well-being of athletes is WADA's number-one priority.
'Clearly this event would jeopardize that as it seeks to promote the use of powerful substances and methods by athletes for the purposes of entertainment and marketing.
'There have been many examples of athletes suffering serious long-term side-effects from their use of prohibited substances and methods. Some have died."
Travis Tygart, the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), said the event was a 'dangerous clown show that puts profit over principle."
Australia's anti-doping body, Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), also condemned the risks posed to athletes participating in the Enhanced Games.
'We work to ensure that sport is safe and fair to all," SIA chief executive Sarah Benson said in a statement. 'The Enhanced Games is promoting the complete opposite and poses a significant risk to athlete health and safety."
Enhanced Games founder D'Souza however has pushed back on those criticisms, insisting that the competition would be conducted 'safely".
'We live in a world transformed by science – from vaccines to AI," said D'Souza.
'But sport has stood still. Until today. We are not updating the rulebook – we are rewriting it. And we're doing it safely, ethically, and boldly."
The Enhanced Games have received financial backing from investors who include billionaire PayPal founder Peter Thiel as well as investment firm 1789 Capital, in which Donald Trump Jr. is a partner.
First Published:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
32 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘You expect India to be here, but same could be said of South Africa too': Pat Cummins on WTC final
Australia captain Pat Cummins has said he expected India to be in the World Test Championship final while brushing aside any notion that South Africa had an easy way to the showpiece event set to begin at Lord's from Wednesday. Having already won the 50-over World Cup and a WTC final in succession, Cummins has the opportunity to make history by becoming the first captain to win successive WTC. Defending champions Australia start as firm favourites against South Africa and Cummins when asked if he was surprised about the opponent for the final said, 'In some ways you expect India to be around. England have been quite strong at home and New Zealand always seem to get to finals. But the same case could be made for South Africa in ICC events. We just don't see a lot of them in Test cricket but it's nice and different to an Australia-India final.' Soon after South Africa qualified for the final, former England captain Michael Vaughan ridiculed their road to Lord's saying they beat a team of nobodies pointing to the fact that they didn't play Australia and England in the current WTC cycle. But Cummins chose to keep aside all of it. 'You can only beat who you come up against. Our route to the final was pretty tough but I don't blame South Africa for having a different route,' Cummins said. Coming into the final, there is a bit of unknown about how these two teams which enjoy a storied rivalry would face-off at Lord's and Cummins said he expects nothing less from South Africa. 'It's hard to say because there are so many unknowns. We haven't played them much [with their last Test series ending in an easy Australian victory at home in 2022-23] but you've got to be really well balanced to make the final. Their bowling has always stood out and it's no different now. [Keshav] Maharaj is a really solid spinner and they've always got plenty of quick bowlers who pose a challenge.' A win at Lord's would also be a high point for Australia's attack which includes the famous four of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Cummins. The upcoming Ashes could well turn out to be the last time all four could play and the Lord's final is certainly the first big match all the four will feature in. 'We've got quite a few players who are past their mid-30s and there seems to be a natural attrition rate into the late‑30s. If you'd asked me a year or two ago I would have said: 'It's going to be a huge change. There's a little bit to be worried about.' But we've seen Josh Inglis, Sam Konstas, [Nathan] McSweeney debut throughout [Australia's] summer. [Beau] Webster's come in plus a few others have debuted in white-ball cricket. I don't think the transition will be as jarring as we first thought,' Cummins added.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
World Test Championship final key to Australia's quest for greatness: Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon has said that the World Test Championship final is an important step in Australia's quest to become one of the greatest Test teams of all time. Australia are aiming to retain their crown as they face South Africa in the final at Lord's, starting from June 11. The Aussies were the only side not to lose a series during the entire WTC 2023-25 cycle, winning 4 out of 6 and finishing second on the table by winning 67.54 per cent of the points available to them. Speaking to the ICC, Lyon feels that it will be important that the side will see the coming week as a celebration piece. The spinner said that the goal of the current side is to become a great Australian team and the WTC final will be a step closer to it. advertisementAlso Read: What happens if WTC Final is drawn, tied or washed out? 'It is important that we look at this week as a celebration piece,' he said. "We've done incredibly well over the last couple of years, at home and away, and that is something that as a team, we should be really proud of."'In my eyes, we're on a journey to becoming a great Australian team. We're not there yet, I'm well aware of that, but that's our goal too. This game is another step up that ladder,' said Lyon. Lyon is expecting a tough competition from South Africa, who finished at the top of the standings. 'Yes, we've been here before, but South Africa qualified first during this World Test Championship,' Lyon continued.'Throughout these two years, they've done something really well to finish top, and so they deserve that home changing room leading into this international cricket. We're expecting an extremely hard challenge and there's going to be a lot of problems out there, but we're going to have to be good enough to solve those problems ASAP.''Australia bowling group still trying to get better'While the Australian bowling line-up is known for the pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, Lyon finds himself as a vital cog in the team and has 66 wickets during the 2023-25 cycle. The spinner said that the bowling group is constantly trying to get better and is leaving no stone unturned heading into the final. 'As a bowling squad, we are very proud of where we are currently at,' said Lyon.'But we're not leaving any stone unturned and we're still trying to get better as a bowling group."'I feel that spurs each and every one of us on to get better.'Must Watch
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Winning WTC title will be important step to becoming one of the great Australian teams, says Nathan Lyon
Winning the ICC World Test Championship title for the second consecutive time in London will be an important step in establishing the current Australian side as one of the greatest teams of all times, feels star off-spinner Nathan Lyon. The 37-year-old Nathan Lyon is part of Andrew McDonald's squad that will take on South Africa at Lord's in the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. Australia will be looking to defend the title they clinched in 2023 with a 209-run victory over India at The Oval, and Lyon is keen to build on the progress made since that triumph. 'It is important that we look at this week as a celebration piece. We've done incredibly well over the last couple of years, at home and away, and that is something that as a team, we should be really proud of," he was quoted as saying by the ICC. 'In my eyes, we're on a journey to becoming a great Australian team. We're not there yet, I'm well aware of that, but that's our goal too. "This game is another step up that ladder,' said the spin ace who took the match-winning wicket of Mohammed Siraj in Australia's win against India in 2023. Australia finished second in the league table during the 2023-25 WTC cycle, behind South Africa, having claimed 67.54 per cent of the points on offer to them. Australia were also the only side that did not lose a series in the 2023-25 cycle, winning four of the six series they played. Their percentage was only bettered by the table-topping Proteas' 69.44 per cent. Lyon has taken 56 wickets against South Africa in 18 matches and expects a fierce contest with the side captained by Temba Bavuma. 'Yes, we've been here before, but South Africa qualified first during this World Test Championship,' said Lyon who has taken 553 wickets from 136 matches since making his Test debut in 2011. 'Throughout these two years, they've done something really well to finish top, and so they deserve that home changing room leading into this game. 'It's international cricket. We're expecting an extremely hard challenge and there's going to be a lot of problems out there, but we're going to have to be good enough to solve those problems ASAP.' The presence of multiple experienced and skilled bowlers in the Australian camp like captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland only adds to the Australian fire-power, said Lyon. 'As a bowling squad, we are very proud of where we are currently at,' he said. 'But we're not leaving any stone unturned and we're still trying to get better as a bowling group. I feel that spurs each and every one of us on to get better." Australia last featured in a Test series in England during the 2023 Ashes — the opening assignment of the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle — but several members of the squad have since returned to ply their trade in county cricket. Lyon turned out for Lancashire in 2024, while Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green and Beau Webster represented Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire, respectively, during the ongoing season. "I feel like you get a lot of understanding of how the game is played over here in these conditions, how the Dukes ball moves around and how the overhead conditions play a role," he said. "It's been amazing to have Greeny over here. I think he's played four or five games for Gloucestershire and done really well. So, hopefully, that gives him the confidence to pick things up from where he left off. "It's important, especially for the younger players, like Greeny, to come over here and play county cricket."
