This weekend’s debut of the Enhanced Games is drawing attention as two accomplished Canadian athletes participate in the controversial event. Created by Australian entrepreneur Aron D’Souza, the global multi-sport competition permits athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs banned in traditional sports. The competition, first proposed in June 2023, has stirred mixed reactions, being labeled as the “Doping Olympics” and the “Steroid Olympics.”
The event, set in Las Vegas and scheduled for this Sunday, is expected to attract around 2,500 invite-only spectators. Winners of each competition will receive $250,000 US, with a promise of $1 million US for breaking world records in specific events, although these records will not be recognized by conventional sports governing bodies.
Among the 42 athletes from various countries competing in events like track and field, weightlifting, strongman, and swimming, are Canadian participants Mitchell Hooper and Boady Santavy. Santavy, a two-time Olympic weightlifter and World’s Strongest Man champion, expressed his motivation to compete in an environment he sees as a “level playing field” amidst documented doping issues in his sport.
Critics, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympics Committee (IOC), have condemned the Enhanced Games for potentially normalizing harmful PED use and undermining decades of anti-doping efforts in elite sports. The controversy has led to various organizations, such as World Aquatics, introducing rules to ban participants from the event.
Enhanced Games has defended its stance by highlighting the existing prevalence of doping in professional sports and positioning itself as a disruptor in an industry plagued by corruption. Despite concerns over health risks and ethical implications, the event organizers stress their commitment to conducting the competition safely and ethically.
While some fear the event may encourage athletes to seek performance-enhancing substances without proper medical supervision, others argue that the issue is not new and has long been present in society. The Enhanced Games have sparked debates on the ethical boundaries of sports and the perception of doping as a form of cheating.
Organizers have specified that athletes are only allowed to use FDA-approved substances, including testosterone, anabolic steroids, hormones, growth factors, and stimulants. Livestreaming of the opening events will commence on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on Roku and the games’ YouTube channel, with a performance by The Killers scheduled for the closing ceremony.
