Enhanced Games: authorised doping versus Olympic doping
The Enhanced Games have just shaken up the world of sport by officially announcing their first edition in May 2026 in Vegas, with a programme that includes where doping will be authorisedbut under medical supervision.
Behind this provocation lies an attractive business model for athletes, promising bonuses of up to a million dollars for breaking certain world records.
In this article, we take a look at what is at stake in this competition, which could redefine the notion of sporting performance forever, while comparing the scientific arguments with the ethics of top-level sport.
- Revolutionary concept The Enhanced Games authorise doping in a medical setting, shaking up the ethical foundations of traditional sport.
- Innovative business model All participants receive an annual salary of 100,000 $, with bonuses of up to 1 million for a world record.
- Strict medical surveillance MRIs, blood tests and heart checks are required to monitor the effects of the substances used.
- Polarised reactions Sports authorities denounce the project as "dangerous", while some athletes see it as an opportunity to push back their limits.
- Challenges and opportunities This open-air laboratory could accelerate scientific research into human performance and influence future sporting models.
Enhanced Games: an innovative concept in the world of sport
Origin and vision of enhanced games
A new era is opening up in the history of sport with the Enhanced Games. These innovative competitions push back biological limits by authorising the use of performance-enhancing substances. James Magnussen recently demonstrated the potential of this concept by breaking a world record after 15 years of deadlock.
Aron D'Souza, the Australian founder of this revolution, justifies his approach with a powerful quote: "For the first time, human biology is no longer a limit. Behind this statement lies an open criticism of the Olympic system. According to him, 43 % of athletes are already doping, making the notion of "pure" sport illusory. The Enhanced Games aim to establish total transparency within a medical framework.
An attractive business model for athletes
| Parameter | Enhanced Games | Olympic Games |
|---|---|---|
| Basic remuneration | Minimum annual salary of 100,000 $ for all registrants | No basic salary |
| Reward per event | First: 250,000 $ Second: 150,000 $ Third: 100,000 $ Total: 500,000 $ per event | Gold: €80,000 Silver: €40,000 Bronze: €20,000 Non-cumulative rewards |
| World record award | 1 million for 50 m freestyle and 100 m sprint records | No specific financial reward for records |
| Access to remuneration | All registered athletes receive a share of the prize money | Only medallists receive an award |
| Financial stability for athletes | Guaranteed by fixed salaries | 58 % of the world's elite athletes are in financial difficulty |
| This table compares the business models of the Enhanced Games and the Olympic Games, highlighting the major differences in terms of athlete remuneration. The Enhanced Games take a radically different approach by offering all participants guaranteed remuneration, fixed salaries and significant performance bonuses, unlike the traditional Olympic system where only medal winners receive financial compensation. | ||
The Enhanced Games business model has turned current codes on their head. Each registered athlete receives a minimum salary of 100,000 $ per year, a sum unheard of in professional sport. The events offer a total prize fund of 500,000 $, with a first prize of 250,000 $. An exceptional bonus of 1 million dollars is reserved for whoever breaks the world records in the 50-metre freestyle or 100-metre sprint. In addition, supplements such as creatine monohydratecan help optimise performance.
The colossal prize money serves a clear objective: "we don't just want to break a world record... we want to break EVERY world record". This slogan reflects the overweening ambition of the organisers. The disciplines selected - swimming, athletics and weightlifting - provide a solid foundation for this sporting transformation. The promise is to see ultra-muscular humans compete with performances worthy of leopards in sprints or machines in weightlifting.
Sports on the programme
- Swimming 50 m and 100 m freestyle, 50 m and 100 m butterfly
- Athletics 100m sprint and hurdles (women's 100m and men's 110m)
- Weightlifting Snatch and clean and jerk events
- Location Competition held at Resorts World on the Las Vegas Strip
- Future disciplines Gymnastics and combat sports initially planned but postponed to later editions
The first edition of the Enhanced Games will be held in Las Vegas in May 2026, at the prestigious facilities of Resorts World. This strategic location on the Strip is designed to attract an international audience. The inaugural event will focus on the founding disciplines: swimming, athletics and weightlifting.
The organisers' ambitions go far beyond this first edition. Fighting sports are planned for the following years, promising confrontations between boxers as muscular as the Terminator. Gymnastics will also make its debut, with the prospect of unprecedented aerial performances. The aim of this gradual evolution is to create a complete platform for all forms of physical challenge.
Authorised and supervised doping: a new approach to performance
The scientific vision behind Enhanced Games
The basis of the Enhanced Games is a radical paradigm shift. Rather than condemning doping, the organisers want to integrate it into a controlled framework. This choice is based on a study revealing that 43 % of athletes take drugs. Aron D'Souza, the Australian founder, says: "For the first time, human biology is no longer a limit". In his view, the current ban on doping is a hypocrisy that must give way to transparency.
Authorised substances and health protocols
Enhanced Games authorise substances that are classified as legal in some countries, such as anabolic steroids in the UK. Visit ZMAcombining zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6, is used to improve recovery and sleep quality. This product is part of the debate on authorised or regulated substances in Enhanced Games. Athletes must nevertheless follow strict monitoring procedures. Each participant will undergo a full series of tests, including brain MRI, blood tests and heart checks. Although this freedom is regulated, it raises questions about the real health risks.
The transparency and fairness argument
This system claims to offer greater transparency than traditional competitions. There is no hiding, and doping products are admitted. For Aron D'Souza, this honesty denounces the pretence of traditional sports. The debate remains open as to the real value of this model for sporting ethics.
Equity in this new approach
Equity remains a debatable concept. Although everyone has access to the same improvements, financial and medical inequalities persist. The best scientific teams or the richest athletes will benefit from perfected protocols. Even so, the competition will never be perfectly equal.
Reactions and criticisms of this sporting transformation
The position of traditional sporting bodies
The International Olympic Committee is reacting firmly to the emergence of the Enhanced Games. For the IOC, this initiative goes against fundamental values of sport. Olympic officials believe that this competition calls into question decades of efforts to preserve the integrity of the Games.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has adopted a clear position. It considers the Enhanced Games to be a concept "dangerous and irresponsible. WADA has called on all its partners to condemn this event. The international federations are following suit, with concrete sanctions: World Aquatics banned James Magnussen from taking part in its competitions after he announced his return to the Enhanced Games.
Athletes face up to this new opportunity
James Magnussen, Australia's triple Olympic medallist swimmer, has taken the sporting world by surprise by announcing his participation in the Enhanced Games. This former world record holder in the 100m freestyle is coming out of retirement to attempt to break the 50m freestyle record.
The athletes attracted to this new competition are motivated in many ways. The financial incentives are unprecedented: all participants receive a fixed salary, with bonuses of up to 250,000 $ per event. The freedom to exploit their biological potential to the full is also a major attraction. This opportunity attracts athletes who are disappointed by an Olympic system where only medal winners receive financial compensation.
The ethical and health debate
The ethical debate revolves around the very definition of sport. By authorising controlled doping, the Enhanced Games call into question principles of fairness and surpassing oneself. Purists see it as trivialising doping, a drift that could damage the credibility of sporting performances.
Health risks are omnipresent, despite promises of medical monitoring. The combined effects of multiple performance-enhancing substances are not fully understood. The dangers for the heart, liver and hormonal system remain very real. One sports doctor warns that some side-effects do not appear until several years after the products have been discontinued.
Challenges and prospects for the future of sport
Potential impact on the Olympic Games
The Enhanced Games represent unprecedented competition for the Olympic Games. By authorising controlled doping and offering colossal bonuses, this project could attract a public hungry for extreme performance. Aron D'Souza insists that "we don't want to just break a world record... we want to break EVERY world record"This philosophy is totally at odds with the Olympic spirit.
The Olympic model is facing an unprecedented challenge. The organisation of traditional Games relies on costly infrastructure that is often unused after the event, whereas the Enhanced Games favour existing facilities. This contrast could lead the IOC to review its approachIn particular, by exploring more sober solutions. However, the historical heritage and universal reach of the Olympic Games remain unrivalled assets.
Opportunities for scientific and medical innovation
The Enhanced Games are opening up a whole new field of observation for the human sciences. The systematic medical monitoring of athletes could generate unprecedented data on the combined effects of performance-enhancing substances. As Aron D'Souza points out, this transparency would make it possible tostudy biological limits with a rigour that is impossible under the current anti-doping system.
The organisers are also promoting technological innovation in medical monitoring. Visit Shilajita natural substance linked to performance and longevity, can be used to illustrate the debates on natural versus synthetic substances in Enhanced Games. Apigenina natural substance studied for its antioxidant effects, could inspire further research into recovery. Brain MRI scans and regular blood tests could become preventive tools for sports-related illnesses. These advances could benefit all sportsmen and womenand far beyond the Enhanced Games competitors. Apigenina natural substance studied for its antioxidant effects, could inspire further research into recovery.
The Enhanced Games are redefining the boundaries of sport with a bold model: controlled doping, fair remuneration and record bonuses. Behind the provocation lies a scientific and ethical challenge. As the Olympic Games falter, one question burns: how far will human limits go ? The future is written between performance and innovation - and will you be a spectator or a player in this revolution?
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