The inaugural Enhanced Games began in Las Vegas on Sunday (24 May), launching one of the most controversial experiments in modern sport, in which athletes openly compete using performance-enhancing drugs banned under traditional anti-doping rules.
Held in an open-air arena under the slogan “Live Enhanced”, the competition combines elite competition in swimming, athletics and weightlifting. The competition model openly permits substances such as testosterone and human growth hormone, provided they are legal and approved by U.S. regulators.
Organisers say the competition aims to push the limits of human performance and challenge what they describe as widespread hypocrisy surrounding doping in elite sport.
Critics, however, warn the event undermines the integrity of competition and risks normalising dangerous drug use.
The competition offers more than $25 million in prize money, with athletes eligible for seven-figure bonuses for breaking recognised world records.
Former Olympic athletes, sprinters and strength competitors are expected to take part, including Icelandic strongman Hafthor Bjornsson, known globally for portraying “The Mountain” in the television series Game of Thrones.
Bjornsson said he has been open about steroid use because it is already common in professional strongman competitions.
The Enhanced Games were founded in 2023 by Australian entrepreneur Aron D’Souza and investor Maximilian Martin, and have attracted backing from prominent figures including billionaire investor Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.
The event has triggered fierce criticism from sporting federations and anti-doping organisations.
The World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits the use of substances such as anabolic steroids and growth hormones because of associated health risks, including cardiovascular disease, strokes and hormonal disorders.
British sporting authorities have also reacted strongly. UK Athletics described the competition as “appalling”, while World Aquatics has warned that swimmers who compete in the Enhanced Games could face exclusion from future Olympic selection.
Some athletes participating in Las Vegas insist they will compete without doping. American swimmer Hunter Armstrong said he intends to remain “clean” while still competing for prize money.
The launch of the Enhanced Games comes amid growing global debate around biohacking, body enhancement and the expanding commercial market for supplements and performance drugs.
Industry analysts say the event reflects wider cultural pressures linked to social media, body image and human optimisation trends increasingly popular among younger audiences.
Joe Vennare, founder of fitness industry platform Fitt Insider, warned that normalising performance-enhancing drug use could have broader societal consequences beyond elite sport.
Organisers reject accusations that the competition promotes unsafe behaviour, arguing instead that the event introduces medical oversight and transparency into an area they claim already exists unofficially across elite athletics.
Meanwhile, experts agree, the Enhanced Games are emerging as a test of how far modern sport, entertainment and society are willing to go to redefine the limits of human performance.
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