With the 2024 Summer Olympic Games on the horizon, a new and highly controversial form of professional athletics has entered the arena.
The Enhanced Games, founded by Dr. Aron D’Souza, claiming to be “the Olympics of the future” is a competition in which athletes are free to use performance-enhancing drugs. Featuring five different events; athletics, aquatics, gymnastics, strength, and combat, the games are facing serious scrutiny from athletic professionals and organizations across the globe.
On The Enhanced Games website, the company places a strong emphasis on “embracing science.” The website reads, “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,” states company president Dr. D’Souza.
In order to “embrace science,” the corporation has eliminated drug testing and does not require athletes to announce the substances they have taken. However, athletes will undergo an initial health screening to ensure they are in proper health and condition to compete. The screening will include a cardiac and brain health inspection, blood work, and several other medical procedures. Despite the protocol still being in the developmental stage, there are serious concerns from all angles of the sports industry.
While the website claims that “sports can be safer without drug testing,” the pushback continues to be strong. According to Forbes, critics contend that the games “put athletes’ health at risk and undermine the integrity and fairness of sporting competition.”
The games’ website also includes statistics from athletes who have used performance-enhancing drugs. The site reads, “The following individuals hold or have held world records that have been revoked or challenged by the Olympic apparatus or journalists. These brave natural and enhanced athletes, as a result of association with performance enhancements, allegations of misconduct, or accusations of defying the anti-science World Anti-Doping Code, have suffered unfair reputational damage.”
Just a few of those listed include Tim Montgomery in the 100m sprint. Montgomery ran a 9.78s time in 2002. The current world record holder for the event is Usain Bolt with a 9.58s time.
There is also serious disagreement regarding the facts of the matter. On The Enhanced Games website, they claim “44% of athletes already use performance enhancements.” However, a study published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal stated that the amount of performance-enhancing drug users for both amateur and professional athletes is only between 2-4%.
This major discrepancy not only calls into question the legitimacy of the games but also the establishment as a whole. Many professionals in the sports and health arena have voiced their concerns and have adamantly argued against the games.
“The Enhanced Games aims to be the safest international sporting event in history. We embrace the inclusion of science in sports, and we fundamentally believe that the choice to use enhancements is a personal one,” the website reads.
Despite this testament to safety, Travis Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, isn’t so sure. Tygart told CNN the contest is “farcical,” stating that it’s “a dangerous clown show, not a real sport.” Tygart also took a legal perspective. “It’s also likely illegal in many states on account of the legal status of some performance enhancers like anabolic steroids, which can help boost muscle mass,” he told CNN.
Another contentious theme of the games is that it labels itself as an alternative to the “corrupt Olympic games.” As a result of this strong language, the sports community around the world feels passionately when weighing in on this issue. Former head of Russia’s national anti-doping laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov issues his thoughts in a series of written comments to CNN. “The use of doping substances is not acceptable in modern sports..promotion and advertising of banned substances is against sport rules and moral, letter and spirit…It might bring an extreme harm to young generation[s] of athletes who mistakenly could believe in benefits of [the] Enhanced Games,” he states.
The effect on younger generations is one that should not be taken lightly. The promotion of this drug use not only sends mixed signals but could encourage unsafe practices for today’s youth.
As a whole, the safety, health and ethical concerns have poured in from all angles. While The Enhanced Games claims they will be careful with their spending and announced that they will hold their games at a Division 1 campus, both the start date and location are still unknown.
With a mountain of concerns, health and safety scrutiny and several ethical dilemmas, The Enhanced Games is holding controversy in the palm of its hand. With critics pouring in from across the globe and pointing out concerns from every angle, The Games’ future is highly uncertain and largely debated.