The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) stated today that athletes or individuals associated with participants in the Enhanced Games will face the risk of violating anti-doping rules and must consider the significant health risks.
Australian businessman Aaron De Souza, residing in London, had announced in January last year that he had attracted investors, including Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, to support his vision for an Enhanced Games event. This event would allow athletes to compete for themselves without representing any country, using performance-enhancing drugs or technology.
De Souza caused a stir last week when retired Australian swimmer James Magnussen, a world champion, agreed to receive a million dollars for using banned performance-enhancing drugs in an attempt to break the 50-meter race world record held by Cesar Cielo for 15 years.
Sharp Response from WADA
In a sharp response, the World Anti-Doping Agency described the Enhanced Games as a “dangerous and irresponsible concept.”
The agency mentioned that the Enhanced Games would be a disgrace to clean sports and put athletes’ lives in danger, pointing out that some have lost their lives due to experimenting with strong banned performance-enhancing substances in many countries.
De Souza, likening current doping controls to a secret police operation aiming to keep athletes in fear, stated that there will not be complete freedom in the use of enhancers for all athletes at the Enhanced Games, emphasizing that there would be “medical controls” on athletes to ensure their safety.
WADA stated, “The health and well-being of athletes is the agency’s top priority. It is clear that this event could jeopardize both by promoting misuse of substances and performance-enhancing methods, which should only be medically described for specific therapeutic needs, if any, and under the supervision of responsible medical specialists.”
The agency added, “As seen throughout history, performance-enhancing drugs have caused significant physical and mental harm to many athletes. Some have died.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency mentioned that athletes participating in the Enhanced Games would immediately be targeted for additional testing, and urged anti-doping agencies and organizations to test participants before, during, and after the Enhanced Games.
De Souza stated that thousands of athletes had contacted him regarding participation in the event, aiming to host an Integrated Games event in 2025.
WADA cautioned athletes and their support personnel wishing to engage in clean sports competitions that if they partake in the Enhanced Games, they would risk violating anti-doping rules under the World Anti-Doping Code.
The agency believes that athletes are role models and that this proposed event would send the wrong signal to youth worldwide.
