Enhanced Games Explained: Inside the Steroid
Sports Illustrated • • general
Key Points:
- Cody Miller, a 2016 Olympic medalist, is competing in the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, an event with no drug testing where athletes use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) like HGH, testosterone, and steroids to compete for large cash prizes.
- The Enhanced Games promotes itself as a scientific and athletic movement but also functions as a commercial platform selling PEDs and attracting high-profile investors including Donald Trump Jr. and Peter Thiel.
- The event features former Olympic athletes and strongmen competing in swimming, running, and weightlifting, with prize money far exceeding traditional sports payouts, highlighting frustrations over low compensation in mainstream Olympic sports.
- Critics, including U.S. Anti-Doping Association CEO Travis Tygart, condemn the Enhanced Games as undermining clean sport efforts, while participants argue it exposes the realities of doping and challenges the effectiveness of current anti-doping systems.
- Miller acknowledges health risks but emphasizes careful medical supervision, advocates for honest conversations about PED use, and positions the Enhanced Games as a separate arena for athletes no longer competing in traditional clean sports.