Latest news with #AronDSouza
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Steroid Games' boss Aron D'Souza slams ‘bullying' after Aussies banned
The founder of the so-called 'Steroid Games' has launched a stunning attack on the governing body of world swimming. World Aquatics (WA) on Wednesday announced a blanket ban on any competitor or coach that has taken part in the Enhanced Games, the multi-sport event founded by Australian businessman Aron D'Souza. The highly controversial Games enable athletes to take performance enhancing drugs and compete in banned suits and is scheduled to make its debut in Las Vegas next year. Former Australian world champion James Magnussen has become the public face of the Games, while compatriot and ex-swimmer Brett Hawke recently became the head coach of its swimming team. Images of a massively bulked up Magnussen attempting to set a world leading time in the 50m freestyle, and claim a US$1 million prize, shocked the sporting world late last month. Magnussen, Hawke and anyone else associated with the doped up concept have now been banned from any future participation at the Olympics or world championships. D'Souza hasn't taken long to respond to the move, blasting World Aquatics and vowing to take on any legal fight from his athletes in a statement posted on the Enhanced Games website. 'We stand with athletes and their support teams. Always,' the statement reads. 'At the Enhanced Games, athletes have what traditional federations never gave them: choice, fairness and real money. 'We offer a medically supervised, safety-focused, science-driven arena – where performance is rewarded, not policed by outdated ideology. 'This ban isn't about protecting athletes. It's about protecting a monopoly. 'World Aquatics hasn't paid its athletes for decades. Now, faced with real competition and real momentum, they've fallen back on threats and bullying tactics. 'Let's be clear: the real danger to sport isn't science. It's stagnation. 'Enhanced is building a better future – one where athletes are empowered, enhancements are embraced responsibly, and excellence is properly compensated. 'Excellence should always be rewarded and these exceptional athletes deserve exceptional compensation. We'll continue to fight for all athletes to ensure they receive it. 'We will support any natural or enhanced athlete denied the option to make this choice – both by providing them an opportunity to compete and win – or by providing legal counsel against World Aquatics in the case of any challenge.' The concept of an official juiced up competition has captivated – and largely appalled – the sporting world since it became public in 2023. Australian Olympic gold medallists Ariarne Titmus and Cam McEvoy are among athletes that have slammed the idea. The first Enhanced Games are scheduled for May 21-24 next year at Resorts World Las Vegas featuring swimming, track and field and weightlifting. World Aquatics became the first governing body to move on the controversial proposal. 'Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events,' World Aquatics president Husain al-Musallam said in a statement. 'This new bylaw ensures that we can continue to protect the integrity of our competitions, the health and safety of our athletes, and the credibility of the global aquatics community.' WA also encouraged member federations, such as Swimming Australia, to 'adopt similar policies at the national level'. Those that prepare for or take part in the Enhanced Games would also be ineligible to hold any position with the sport's governing body. Magnussen announced earlier this week he will tweak his doping and training regime for the Enhanced Games in a bid to win the revolutionary event after he was pipped in his quest to break the 50m freestyle world record. Magnussen, who has been retired for six years, has been taking a concoction of testosterone and peptides, among other substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), to try to break the 50m freestyle world record. But the 34-year-old nicknamed 'the Missile' watched his dream of winning the US$1 million prize money go up in smoke after another swimmer beat him to it. Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev – aided by undisclosed substances and a polyurethane suit not approved for Olympic use – broke the world record at an Enhanced Games competition pool in North Carolina in February. Gkolomeev swam a time of 20.89 seconds, 0.02sec fastest than the longstanding supersuit world record held by Brazil's Cesar Cielo since the 2009 world championships.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Swimming world body will banish participants in pro-doping Enhanced Games
Swimmers, coaches and officials who compete in or support a controversial new sports event allowing performance-enhancing drugs will be barred from elite competition, World Aquatics announced on Tuesday. The move targets the Enhanced Games, a privately funded, Olympics-style event set to debut in Las Vegas next May, which explicitly permits – and encourages – the use of substances banned under global anti-doping rules. Athletes will not be drug-tested and may follow personalized pharmaceutical regimens, provided they disclose their use to organizers. World Aquatics said anyone who 'supports, endorses, or participates in sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices that may include prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods' will be ineligible for the organization's events. This includes athletes, coaches, administrators, and medical personnel. 'Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events,' said Husain al-Musallam, the organization's president. The Enhanced Games, slated for 21–24 May 2026 in Las Vegas, will feature sprinting, swimming and weightlifting. Organizers have promised prize money of up to $500,000 per event, including $1m bonuses for breaking world records in the 100m sprint or 50m freestyle. Australian swimmer and three-time Olympic medalist James Magnussen is among a small group of athletes who have publicly signed on. The event's founder, Australian entrepreneur Aron D'Souza, has pitched the Games as a revolutionary platform embracing what he calls 'superhumanity', a future where pharmaceutical and technological enhancement is normalized. Athletes may compete naturally, follow enhancement protocols, or participate in clinical trials using FDA-designated 'Investigational Medicinal Products'. 'We are creating a new category of human excellence,' promotional materials say. 'A world where performance-enhancing drugs are used safely, openly, and under medical supervision.' D'Souza has called anti-doping policy 'outdated and hypocritical', claiming the Enhanced Games offers a safer, more transparent alternative. The plan has drawn sharp criticism from anti-doping bodies and sports federations. 'It's a dangerous clown show, not real sport,' said Travis Tygart, head of the US Anti-Doping Agency. The World Anti-Doping Agency warned the project 'jeopardizes athletes' health and well-being' by promoting 'the abuse of powerful substances and methods that should only be prescribed, if at all, for specific therapeutic needs'. Athletes are expected to undergo medical screening and be monitored by independent health and ethics boards. But enforcement appears largely voluntary, a feature organizers describe as part of their 'partnership-first' model. In February, Greek-Bulgarian swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev reportedly swam faster than the world record in the 50m freestyle while on an enhancement protocol. Though organizers touted the result, it came with caveats: Gkolomeev wore a full-body polyurethane suit not approved by World Aquatics, and the swim is not recognized as official. Financial backing for the Games includes support from figures aligned with former U.S. president Donald Trump. A recent investment round was led by 1789 Capital, a firm co-founded by Donald Trump Jr. Other backers include Peter Thiel's Apeiron Investment Group and the hedge fund Karatage. D'Souza has welcomed the association with Trump-linked donors, calling it 'more important than any investment' to have political and cultural backing from prominent American conservatives. World Aquatics' announcement comes amid efforts to clamp down on the Enhanced Games before they gain further traction. No major broadcasters or sponsors have been confirmed, and the pool of committed athletes remains small. Still, organizers say they are pressing forward with plans for a year-round training base and a broader business venture selling personalized enhancement programs to consumers. While the Enhanced Games bills itself as a parallel to the Olympics, critics say it risks undermining global sport entirely. 'The greater risk,' reads an internal Enhanced FAQ, 'is pretending those risks don't exist.' Whether the public embraces or rejects that philosophy may determine if the Enhanced Games are a one-off experiment or a disruptive force in the future of elite competition.
Malay Mail
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Anti-doping bodies condemn ‘dangerous' Enhanced Games allowing performance-enhancing drugs, warn of health risks
LOS ANGELES, May 23 — Anti-doping bodies yesterday 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 organisers 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 which are banned across international sport such as steroids and human growth hormones, with winners of each event receiving US$250,000 (RM1 million), and a bonus of US$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. Athlete and swimmer James Magnussen attends a press conference to announce he will be joining the new 'Enhanced Games' team, in Las Vegas, Nevada May 21, 2025. — Reuters pic 'Dangerous, irresponsible' '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 jeopardise 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.' Usada's chief science officer, Matt Fedoruk, highlighted that many substances had been banned in conventional sporting events because they were proven to be dangerous. 'These things aren't just banned because they're effective at making athletes stronger or faster,' Fedoruk said in a post on Usada's website. 'Many are banned because they've been proven to be dangerous for athletes, with some harmful side effects being potentially irreversible.' 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. — AFP
Irish Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Las Vegas is the right place for the Enhanced Games, a sporting freak show with a cast of drugged-up athletes
'Hoots man, there's juice, loose, about this hoose.' The slogan from an old Maynards Wine Gums advert was probably not on the minds of such stand-up characters as Omeed Malik and Peter Thiel, two wealthy supporters of Donald Trump who have invested in the controversial sports product called Enhanced Games. The same could be said for Donald Trump jnr and Christian Angermayer, a psychedelics evangelist, who have also invested in the Enhanced Games. Its president, Aron D'Souza, an Australian billionaire, claims he is pioneering a new era in athletic competition that embraces scientific advancements to push the boundaries of human performance. His snappy line is that they are hard-selling 'superhumanity'. Athletes are not just permitted, but encouraged, to use performance-enhancing drugs (Peds). Others are convinced it is an ugly spectacle in the mould of PT Barnum, the 19th century ringmaster who sold New Yorkers on the spectacle of General Tom Thumb, the bearded lady and beluga whales that he kept in a tank in the basement and who met a sad end. To make it succeed, Barnum was not above exploiting his patrons' ignorance and credulity from time to time. READ MORE Fittingly, the Enhanced Games announced on Wednesday that the 100 or so juiced-up athletes will meet in May 2026 at Resorts World on the Las Vegas strip. The strip and its otherworldliness seems an appropriate venue, although it was almost certainly chosen because European countries would not countenance hosting such an event. 'It's a dangerous clown show, not real sport,' said Travis Tygart, chief executive of the US Anti-Doping Agency. Taking part would be 'moronic', said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, declaring that any competitor planning to take part in legitimate sporting events would face a lengthy ban. The World Anti-Doping Association has called it a 'dangerous and irresponsible concept'. The competing athletes will receive appearance fees. Additionally, those who break existing world records will receive a bonus of $250,000 (€221,000) per record and $1 million (€884,000) for surpassing the world records in the 50-metre freestyle and 100-metre sprint. World records are the point of the Enhanced Games, otherwise they don't have a purpose. What is the attraction of a group of juiced athletes few people have ever heard of running and swimming in slower times than those who competed in the last Olympics ? As nothing about the event is legitimate, any records broken won't mean anything except to tell us something we already know – that Peds can make you move faster on the track and in the pool. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has expressed his disapproval of the Enhanced Games. Photograph:But D'Souza won't care. Part of the concept is to fuzz the lines and spark a broader conversation about ethics in sport and where they belong, what their limits are and why they even exist, when sport is inherently unfair to start with. Take financial doping. The American sprinter based in California has a better chance of Olympic success than the Syrian sprinter from Damascus. The Enhanced Games are an affront to legacy sports and the organisations that govern them D'Souza has argued the International Olympic Committee (IOC) generates billions in revenue, but the athletes who people want to see 'do not receive enough money'. He also said that a survey showed 44 per cent of elite athletes had admitted to doping, but only one per cent were ever caught, before declaring: 'I thought someone had to fix this system.' His altruism is touching. But before swooning, ask why a group of billionaires are prepared to pump money into a project roundly rejected by the governing bodies of sports listed in the Enhanced Games. Usually, businesses invest money to make money. Billionaires don't provide start-ups with seed capital to enhance the lives of others, who they feel are not being paid well enough. The Enhanced Games want their concept to replace the Olympic Games. They are betting on there being enough sporty lab monkeys around the globe to make it work. They hope Enhanced will become normalised and will be the Olympics of the future. But in case you thought it was all about leverage, money and control, there is a faux philosophical attachment involved. It suggests that humanity has a duty to explore the limits of the human body without being held back by tiresome doping regulations. [ 'We all remember his amazing energy': Eddie Jordan remembered in two events ahead of Monaco Grand Prix Opens in new window ] [ Euro 2028 qualification explained: The five ways Ireland can qualify, including automatically Opens in new window ] If there is an upside, it is in the provocation piece. The Enhanced Games are an affront to legacy sports and the organisations that govern them, where clean athletes as role models have been central to the meaning of sport and its existence. The concept is also a reminder that, probably, not enough money has been invested in anti-doping over the years. There is not enough paper in The Irish Times printing press to name all the medical doctors picking themselves off the floor at the thought of Barnum 2.0. The long-term effects of Peds, the short-term side effects, the lack of safety protocols, the different dosing regimens of dangerous anabolic steroids and the uses of novel drugs with no safety trials are hair-raising. And the list goes on. A poorly designed drug trial with no ethical oversight, it will be a ripping success next year in Las Vegas if the athletes do better than Barnum's belugas and some don't die.
Arab News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Anti-doping bodies condemn ‘dangerous' drug-fueled Enhanced Games
LOS ANGELES: 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. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport 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 which 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 organizing 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 No. 1 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.' USADA's chief science officer, Matt Fedoruk, highlighted that many substances had been banned in conventional sporting events because they were proven to be dangerous. 'These things aren't just banned because they're effective at making athletes stronger or faster,' Fedoruk said in a post on USADA's website. 'Many are banned because they've been proven to be dangerous for athletes, with some harmful side effects being potentially irreversible.' 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.
