Back in 2023, Aron D’Souza publicly shared his idea of having an “enhanced” version of the Olympics, allowing participants to compete with full access to performance-enhancing drugs. The “Enhanced Games” generated a lot of buzz back then, and they continue to do so now. It appears that the first-ever competition will take place next year in Las Vegas, much to the disappointment of many groups in the athletic world. Even though we have gotten an official time and date for the games, many still wonder if they will even happen.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has been a prominent voice in condemning the event, stating that it is dangerous and undermines the integrity of fair competition. They have had many talks with authorities to ensure that the games never happen. World Aquatics has also advocated against the games, announcing that they will ban any athletes who participate from attending any of their future events. Other groups will likely join in with them as the event gets closer.
Of course, many support the games as well, including Donald Trump. The main argument for these games is that the participants are all consenting adults. They are allowed to do as much or as little doping as they want, and medical services will be there at all times to ensure their safety. These are valid points, but it’s unlikely that everyone will be convinced. This first competition seems to be possible with their current backing, but if there is any chance of future games afterwards, they need to display the amount of safety that they preach. No amount of entertainment is worth putting lives at risk, so I suppose we will see if the enhanced games can pull it off.
