“The future of sports lies here. We are on a mission to redefine superhumanity through science, innovation and sports.”
Absurdly ambitious goal, or at least a choice of words. But the “redefinition of superhumanity” is not enough for Enhanced Games, a startup that plans to host Olympic-style competitions in Las Vegas next year.
The venture is also trying to “reform sports with science.”
Translation: Not only does it allow performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), but it also encourages use, it celebrates use.
Or, an enhanced game copywriter, “We are pioneering a new era of movement competition that embraces scientific advances to push the boundaries of human performance.”
Breaking a world record with a track or swimming sprint event triggers a $1 million payment to the athlete. This is one of several performance bonuses that have been enhanced. Where does the money come from? Conservative billionaire Peter Thiel, Saudi prince Khaled bin Alwared Al Saud, Donald Trump Jr.
From the boldness of the message to deep pockets, to fund ventures for athletes seduced by the prospect of making a big buck and setting a world record, the enhanced game is worth a closer look.
Why are there games that have been enhanced in the news?
Witold Banka, president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), warned last week that he warned that the enhanced game poses a threat to everything sacred and decent in global sports.
“This initiative is trying to normalize the use of potentially dangerous drugs,” Banka said. “Of course, that has to be stopped for the health of athletes and the purity of sports.
“As the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles approach, we cannot allow this cynical attempt to undermine clean sports, and we urge US authorities to find legal ways to block this initiative.”
Banka’s warning prompted eye rolls in several quarters. The Senate Committee on Consumer Protection, Technology and Data Privacy will be titled “Swim with Refusing to Doping China.” on Tuesday.
Wada refused to investigate allegations of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for PED before the Tokyo Olympics. With the 2028 LA Games and the 2034 Salt Lake City Games looming, the Senate committee will address allegations that inconsistent enforcement by WADA led to unfair competition that affected American athletes.
USADA CEO Travis Tygart accused Banka of referring to the game that has been enhanced to distract him from upcoming Senate hearings.
That doesn’t mean that Tygart is A-OK and involves efforts to promote PED use and the resulting outcomes.
“As we’ve said repeatedly, for all the obvious reasons, enhanced games and other open competition is a bad idea,” Tigert said in the comment. “If he really wants to ask us authorities to do something, he should show up and ask the Senate to do something.”
The first global sports body of pushback is the world’s Aquatics. This bans swimmers who support the enhanced game even if they have never competed.
“It applies to those who support, support or participate in sporting events that adopt the use of scientific advances or other practices, including prohibited substances and prohibited methods,” the global Aquatics statement said.
When and where will the enhanced game be played?
The enhanced game aims for the world record for Las Vegas swimming, weightlifting and tracks on Memorial Day weekend in 2026.
Scheduled swimming events are 50 and 100 metres freestyle, 50 and 100 metres butterflies. Weightlifting includes snatches and clean & jerks. The track event includes a 100-meter dash and a 110-meter hurdle.
Each event will receive a $500,000 prize money, with each winner awarding $250,000. Additionally, a bonus will be paid to world records, including $1 million for a 100-meter sprint record and a 50-meter freestyle record. This is called “two definitive tests of raw human speed.”
The enhanced game will take place inside the resort. The competition complex includes a four-lane pool, a six-lane sprint truck, and a weightlifting stage.
Who came up with this?
The founder and president of Enhanced Games is an Australian entrepreneur. D’Souza is riding the Crusades to create an alternative to the Olympic Games.
He advocates the use of PED, arguing that athletes should have the freedom to choose about their bodies and that Wada should act as the “anti-science police” of the International Olympic Committee.
Previously, D’Souza led the involvement of wrestler Hulk Hogan. This is one of the biggest infringements of privacy judgment in history, and is the subject of a book by author Ryan Holiday.
D’Souza is the founder of technology infrastructure companies in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. He sold his shares in the company in 2018.
The extent to which billionaires such as Thiel, Always Al Saud and Trump Jr. will fund the enhanced game is unknown. “We are supported by some of the world’s most successful venture capitalists, allowing us to operate independently without government and taxpayer funds.”
D’Souza told The Associated Press that a group of Trump Jr., known as 1789 Capital, is bringing “double-digit millions” to the enhanced game. Trump Jr. created this, including the appearance of his father, President Trump.
“It’s about excellence, innovation and American domination on the global stage. It’s all about the Magazine movement,” Trump Jr. said in a statement accompanying the funding announcement.
D’Souza is excited to support America’s first family and other benefits.
“Some of the most important people supporting America’s social and political life are more important to us than any investment,” he said in a video call in February. “It’s a very natural fit because I’ve had the fortune of working with many members of the administration and other prominent figures of the Trump movement over the years.”
D’Souza and his team have expressed their lofty goals beyond squeezing athletes into juice, setting records and paying race winners. Last week, D’Souza
“This isn’t just about strengthening. It’s about economic freedom. About athletes making choices. About old institutions breaking monopolies that protect human performance.
“In the enhanced game, we’re not apologizing. We’re not retreating. We’re fighting with all athletes who are silent, underpaid or discarded.”
Anyway, why are drugs that improve performance banned?
Something related to taking anabolic steroids that have no medical use approved by the US government is long and frightening.
Men may see breasts and prostates growing and test circles shrink. Women may speak deeper, grow their hair, and lose their hair on their heads. Both men and women can tear tendons or develop liver tumors, severe acne, increased blood pressure, heart problems, and anger and depression problems.
According to the enhanced game, the competition is under the supervision of medical teams, but by the time the game begins, the damage caused by taking PED may have already developed.
“Protecting athletes is our number one priority,” the enhanced gaming website declares. “All competitors will undergo rigorous, cutting-edge medical profiling before they can compete.”
The first athlete to show results using the Enhanced Games PEDS regimen is a Greek swimmer who has never won a medal in four Olympics.
In February, Gkolomeev swam 1/200th of a second faster than the 50-meter freestyle world record in a time of 20.89. He wore an inline, full-body open water suit that is banned by the world’s Aquatics.
“I’m like the driver in a car, but I need the team behind me,” Gkolomeev bolstered a game promotion event last month in Las Vegas.
Many believe that breaking records under the influence of PED is pointless.
Romanian Luger, who finished 20th at the 2010 Winter Olympics, responded to D’Souza’s LinkedIn post in this comment.
“I have acquired my place at the Olympics over the years through hard, clean work and unwavering dedication. Honesty, fair play, respect and perseverance are what inspire and shape true athletes.
“Are we sending in young, aspiring athletes? That misconduct and cutting corners is an effective path to success. These are pathetic excuses to undermine the true spirit of competition. You are a delusion to promote this agenda.
USADA CEO Tygart responded in a similar way. “The people behind the enhanced game may be aiming to make money right away, but those profits will come at the expense of children all over the world thinking they need to pursue their dreams.
“They are role models that this world desperately needs, and they deserve our support.
Counterpoint by athlete expert Michael Ashenden, who helped athletes create a blood passport system and developed a test for the blood-enhancing drug erythropoietin (EPO).
Ashenden, who initially opposed to the enhanced game, changes his mind and writes that Wada’s failure to fight doping at the Olympics will make the alternative viable.
“Today, I advocate the concept of an enhanced game to coexist with the Olympic movement, provided that athletes are not doing anything illegal,” writes Ashenden. “I realized that not following the WADA rules is not so radical after all.”
“By providing incentives for record performance, the Enhanced Games admits that they implicitly encourage the use of substances that improve performance. However, by offering gold medals, the Olympic movement encourages the use of substances that improve performance.
“It could be a bitter medicine for the Olympic movement, but it was foreseeable that under their stewardship, the commercialization of sports would create an environment where corporate disruptors would sow.”
