What are the Enhanced Games? Everything to know about the controversial, PED-fueled Olympic-style competition

Key Points:

• The Enhanced Games, set for Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas, is a new sports competition where athletes can use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) under regulated and safe conditions to explore the limits of human performance in events like swimming, track, and weightlifting.
• The event features 40 athletes, including some Olympians such as Ben Proud, Fred Kerley, Hunter Armstrong, and weightlifter Thor Bjornsson, with participants choosing whether or not to use PEDs.
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) strongly oppose the Enhanced Games, calling it a betrayal of anti-doping principles and warning about the health risks of PED use; World Aquatics has banned athletes who participate in the event from future competitions.
• The Enhanced Games will be streamed on platforms like Roku Sports Channel, YouTube, and Twitch, with a prize pool of $25 million, including $1 million bonuses for sprint world records and $250,000 for event winners.
• The organizers aim for transparency by hosting a medical symposium and media availability before the event, emphasizing science and innovation in performance enhancement under regulated conditions.