The Enhanced Games: Revolutionary or Reckless?
The enhanced games, founded by Aron D’Souza, allow athletes from a range of sports to use performance enhancing substances, free from drug tests, claiming they are the ‘Olympics of the future.’ However, many condemn these games, as they are against the fundamentals of sport: integrity and fairness.
Many athletes, including British silver medalist (50 meter freestyle) Ben Proud, have already joined the enhanced games, partly due to the large cash prize of $1 million if athletes beat a current world record, as well as appearance fees and the belief that athletes should be able to make decisions on the risk of using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) for themselves.
In contrast, UK anti-doping says ‘there is no place in sport for PEDs, or the enhanced games.’ In addition, the enhanced games have been criticised for the impact on the health of athletes as well as undermined for the use of PEDs, which is viewed as cheating in all other competitions such as the Olympics or the commonwealth games, and the effect it may have on aspiring athletes, discouraging them from competing entirely, or, pressure them into using PEDs.
So, are the enhanced games the Olympics of the future, or are they a danger to the traditional values of sportsmanship and integrity?
Charlotte Adderly
