Granted, steroid use might come in direct conflict with the very spirit of professional athletics (i.e. achieving peak physical condition through hard work and sacrifice). But there’s no denying sports on ‘roids have gifted us plenty of wildly entertaining world beaters — from Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong to Jon Jones.
That’s essentially what the Enhanced Games is all about.
Bankrolled by a consortium that includes billionaire PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, former Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan, and biotech investor Christian Angermayer, this “modern reinvention of the Olympic Games” won’t test competitors for drugs or any other performance enhancers at its event. Which has obviously ruffled feathers and provoked health warnings.
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So what’s the logic behind this controversial concept dreamed up by Aussie lawyer turned businessman Dr Aron D’Souza? Aside from having an opportunity to witness real-life superheroes achieve what should theoretically be impossible and break world records like they were nothing more than suggestions.
The philosophical view underlying the Enhanced Games is that current contests such as the Olympics “anti-science” and stigmatise “enhanced athletes.” That’s precisely why it seeks to “embrace the inclusion of science in sports” however it can.
“Contemporary drug testing practised in sports today is not necessarily about athlete safety; it often skews the public perception of fairness and health in competitive sports,” explains King’s College London clinician and researcher Michael Sagner; a member of the Enhance Games’ scientific and medical advisory board.
D’Souza stated: “We believe that science is real and has an important place in supporting human flourishing. There is no better forum for highlighting the centrality of science in our modern world than elite sports.”
This entire endeavour aims to further research into nutritional supplements and biohacks that’ll hopefully push the boundaries of human performance.
Team sports have been scrapped in favour of individual events surrounding five core categories: athletics, aquatics, gymnastics, combat, and strength.
“By focusing on world records in popular sports such as track and field, swimming, gymnastics, weight lifting, and combat sports, we can eliminate wasteful infrastructure spending and reinvest to fairly pay all athletes,” reads the official site.
“The Enhanced Games is a new sports league, built from the ground up. It’s time to make sports better.”
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On the topic of wasteful infrastructure, aside from being entirely funded by private money, pre-existing stadiums will be used instead of building venues from scratch only to be abandoned shortly thereafter. In other words, taxpayers won’t be footing the billions for this one.
The Enhanced Games is also styling itself as the “most inclusive sports league in history.” Any and all adults will be welcome to apply and compete once they pass the medical screening, regardless of whether they’re “natural, adaptive, or enhanced, an amateur or a former Olympian.” The only real prerequisite is to perform.
Registration open in late 2024. The specifics (date, location, precise events, prize pool) are still TBA. Key details are set to be unveiled on April 17th. Hit the link below to find out more.
