The inaugural Enhanced Games commenced on Sunday in Las Vegas, marking a controversial sporting event where competitors are permitted to use performance-enhancing drugs. Approximately 40 sprinters, swimmers, and weightlifters participated, raising significant health concerns among medical professionals and sports bodies.
Drug Use and Health Risks
Most athletes consumed combinations of testosterone, human growth hormone, peptides, anabolic steroids, and other substances typically banned by mainstream events like the Olympics. Swimmers also utilized 'supersuits' that were prohibited after the 2008 Beijing Olympics due to their record-breaking advantages. The event has been condemned by athletics governing bodies and anti-doping agencies for endangering participants and undermining the spirit of fair competition.
Health experts warn that these substances could lead to 'life-shortening and fatal consequences,' including heart, liver, and kidney issues, given the limited understanding of their long-term effects. However, Enhanced Games officials assert that all medications are FDA-approved and that top medical experts have been hired. Emergency personnel are on standby, with chief medical officer Guido Pieles stating, 'I'm reasonably confident nothing will happen,' while acknowledging the risk as 'clearly there' but 'really manageable.'
World Records and Prize Money
Participants were enticed by prize money of up to $1 million for breaking world records. Co-founder Max Martin predicted 'quite a few' records would be beaten, but only one was surpassed. Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev won the $1 million bonus by swimming the 50-meter freestyle in 20.81 seconds, breaking the existing record. Other notable athletes included British Olympic silver medalist Ben Proud, who narrowly missed the 50-meter butterfly record by 0.05 seconds, finishing in 22.27 seconds.
Not all athletes chose to dope. US sprinter Fred Kerley competed clean and won the 100 meters with a modest 9.97 seconds, earning $250,000. The race was chaotic, with four false starts and untied shoes. Kerley, who had predicted Usain Bolt's world record would be 'destroyed,' ran a time that would have placed last at the Paris Olympics two years ago.
Venue and Investors
The Enhanced Games were held in a purpose-built $50 million arena in a Las Vegas casino parking lot, which will be dismantled hours after the final race. The event is not open to the public; a curated crowd of about 2,500 people attended. Investors include billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr., blending sports, biohacking, politics, and entertainment.
CEO Max Martin emphasized transparency, publishing the percentage of athletes taking each substance. However, specific combinations remain undisclosed to avoid 'advertise for certain protocols to create imitation potential,' according to Martin. The parent company Enhanced sells many of these substances to the public.
Athlete Perspectives
Many athletes earned money they could only dream of in mainstream Olympic sports. Ben Proud expressed satisfaction with his $250,000 win but noted, 'I think we all know what we came here for, and that's a world record.' Weightlifter Beatriz Piron reportedly surpassed a world record in training but narrowly failed in the event.
Chief sporting officer Rick Adams acknowledged that 'specific international organizations' will not accept any records set at the Enhanced Games, even those achieved by clean athletes like Kerley. The event's future remains uncertain, but Martin declared, 'It's just the beginning.'
