Introduction to the Enhanced Games
Under the intense Las Vegas sun, large billboards proclaim "Live Enhanced" as a deep-voiced sports announcer rehearses introducing British swimmer Ben Proud and other competitors.
The announcer is preparing for an event at a new open-air arena hosting one of the most contentious sporting competitions in recent memory: the Enhanced Games.
Think of it as the Olympics, but with steroids allowed—literally.
The inaugural event, held on Sunday, features dozens of elite athletes who openly use performance-enhancing drugs in an attempt to break world records across track, weightlifting, and swimming disciplines.
Prize money totals approximately $25 million (£18.6 million), with cash awards for winners. World records in certain events, targeted by athletes such as US sprinter Fred Kerley, carry a $1 million (£740,000) bonus.
The substances used must be legal and approved by the Federal Drug Administration. However, drugs like testosterone and human growth hormone—prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency—are not only permitted but actively encouraged and available for purchase at the event.
The project was founded in 2023 by entrepreneurs Aron D'Souza and Maximilian Martin and has attracted investment from notable figures including billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.
Health experts caution that anabolic steroids and growth hormones carry risks such as strokes and cardiovascular damage.
Organizers assert that the Enhanced Games will push the boundaries of human performance, while critics, particularly within the Olympic movement, denounce it as a violation of the spirit and foundational principles of competitive sport.
'We're being up front and honest'
"You don't have to be pressured or use drugs in order to be the best,"says Travis Tygart, CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
He told the BBC that despite clear shortcomings in the Olympics' anti-doping measures, the solution lies in reforming the system rather than endorsing doping.
"Athletes need to be assured the Olympics are clean and cheats will not be tolerated."
"We don't want kids to have to say, 'in order to win an Olympic medal, when I'm 18 or 20 years old, I have to inject myself every day in the rear end with a potentially dangerous drug.'"
In contrast, Enhanced, the company behind the games, claims it is openly acknowledging what it describes as a widespread but hidden reality of doping among many athletes.
During a two-hour media session in a ballroom at Resorts World casino, Enhanced athletes answered questions, but only strongman Hafthor Bjornsson, who aims to break his own deadlift record of 510 kg (1,124.4 pounds), disclosed the substances he uses. Other athletes remained silent on the matter.
Bjornsson, known for his role as the Mountain in Game of Thrones, stated he is transparent about his steroid use because it is accepted within professional strongman circles.
American sprinter Shania Collins emphasized that the participants' admission of doping grants them more integrity than those who cheat in secret.
"We're being up front and honest and transparent from the start,"she told the BBC.
"So how can you challenge our integrity when we're forthright with the information?"
Some sports governing bodies have publicly criticized athletes for competing in the Enhanced Games.
UK Athletics' chief executive Jack Buckner expressed being "appalled" when it was revealed that former Great Britain sprinter Reece Prescod had signed up in January. UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) described the event as a "reckless venture."
Meanwhile, GB Aquatics announced that British swimmer Ben Proud will not be selected again for Britain's Olympic team if he participates in the Enhanced Games.
Big money involved
Ben Proud, who won the silver medal in the 50m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics, aims to break the world record using performance-enhancing drugs and claim the $1 million prize on Sunday.
If he wins the race without breaking the world record, he will still earn $250,000 (£185,000).
"There's no money in sport,"Proud told the BBC before the games.
"I was 30 and had just come off a silver medal, what future path do I follow?"
Proud, who has faced widespread condemnation for joining the Enhanced Games, stated that it would take 13 years of winning World Championship titles to earn a comparable amount of prize money.
Enhanced has already awarded a doped swimmer $1 million for breaking a record during one of the trials preceding Sunday's competition.
Of the 42 athletes competing on Sunday, most will be using testosterone, and some will also use human growth hormone and stimulants such as Adderall.
However, not all competitors will be doping; some intend to compete clean.
American swimmer Hunter Armstrong has stated he "definitely" does not want to dope for the games, adding:
"I personally have taken pride in getting as far as I can on natural God-given talent."
He plans to compete clean for a chance at the prize money and then return to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Whether this is possible remains uncertain given the backlash from many sports bodies responsible for team selection.
However, USADA's Tygart told the BBC that as long as an athlete passes doping tests to qualify for the Olympics, there is nothing preventing them from participating.
Wider worries for society?
Earlier this month, the Enhanced Group—the company behind the competition—began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
The competition is also viewed as an opportunity for Enhanced to market performance-enhancing medicines and supplements both at the event and online.
This raises broader concerns amid a social media environment saturated with offers to purchase unregulated peptides and societal pressures to conform to certain physical appearances.
Joe Vennare, founder of Fitt Insider, which analyzes the health and wellness industry, believes normalizing performance-enhancing drugs could have unknown health and cultural consequences.
He acknowledges individuals have the right to use legal medical interventions but worries some are doing so at the expense of fitness and a healthy diet.
"Kids are using social media filters, they're getting Botox injections,"he told the BBC.
"They're having body dysmorphia - especially young men, in this case at record numbers."
Vennare says the Enhanced Games reflects these issues but did not create them.
"That's a problem that parents and culture and society more broadly have to address."
Enhanced athlete James Magnussen, an Australian swimmer, agrees, stating that parents need to control what their children watch and take personal responsibility, but insists Enhanced is not "targeted at children."
"It's an entertainment company and product targeted at people looking at the longevity and human performance space."
None of these criticisms of the Enhanced Games are expected to dissipate soon.
Neither the participating athletes nor the invite-only audience in Las Vegas appear deterred.
