Enhanced Games explained: sport's most controversial event unpacked

Enhanced Games is a new sports event in Las Vegas with a specially built 2,500-seater arena and huge prizes for athletes aiming to break world records. Forty-two athletes are scheduled to compete in swimming, track and field, weightlifting, and strongman events, followed by a post-event show by the Killers. Olympic-level swimmers and top sprinters are among the entrants, including Ben Proud, Andriy Govorov, James Magnussen, and Fred Kerley, plus other British athletes. The event states that only drugs approved by America’s Food and Drug Administration can be used, including testosterone and anabolics, hormones and growth factors, metabolic modulators, and stimulants. These substances are described as outlawed by WADA. The event also claims health professionals monitored substances and athlete health during an IRB trial in Abu Dhabi.

"Enhanced Games says that only drugs approved by America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can be taken. They include the following which, it is important to note, are all outlawed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada): Testosterone and anabolics such as methenolone and nandrolone. Hormones and growth factors, such as human growth hormone and EPO. Metabolic modulators, such as meldonium, and stimulants, including Adderall."

"As things stand, 42 athletes will compete in the following events: Swimming: 50m and 100m freestyle, 50m and 100m butterfly. Track & field: 100m. Weightlifting: snatch, clean & jerk. Strongman: deadlift. There will then be a post-event show from the Killers. The Killers will play a show after the Enhanced Games, which takes place in the band's home city of Las Vegas."

"More than a dozen Olympic swimmers have signed up, including Britain's Ben Proud, who won a silver medal in 50m freestyle at the Paris Games; Ukraine's Andriy Govorov, who holds the world record for the 50m butterfly; and the Australian former 100m freestyle world champion James Magnussen. In track and field, the biggest name by far is the 2022 world 100m champion, Fred Kerley of the United States, whose personal best is 9.76sec."

"The Enhanced Games says that 37 of its 42 athletes have been involved in an International Review Board (IRB) trial in Abu Dhabi from January to May, in which health professionals have monitored the substances being used and the competitors' health."

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