The Enhanced Games (EG) has been a hot topic, and understandably, those in sports have some strong opinions about it. An event where there will be no doping controls, which means athletes can take whatever banned substance they want. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has had some choice words for it recently. The frontman of World Athletics has called the doping-encouraged games “bollocks” and “a dangerous clown show.”
Dr. Aron D’Souza, the self-proclaimed “Dr. Frankenstein of the sports world,” is the founder of the Games, and while cycling is not yet involved, he himself bike raced as an amateur 20 years ago. He said the prominence of EPO, the infamous blood booster favored by pros, harmed his career, according to the Athletic. D’Souza says the motive behind the Enhanced Games goes beyond just athletes using drugs. His objective is to design a modernized, science-driven game for social media and broadcast television, which he hopes will appeal to the public’s short attention spans.
The growth of the Games
D’Souza isn’t the only man behind the EG; his concept has attracted several Silicon Valley investors, including German-American billionaire and co-founder of PayPal, Peter Thiel, who has reportedly invested a single-digit million-dollar figure. “In the summer of 2025, single-day events will be broadcasted where Enhanced Games athletes will target and break world records,” D’Souza said. From there, he anticipates the Games will grow. “We are looking for a host venue and don’t need infrastructure. We want to be a compact Games designed for media consumption.”
Just because you can do drugs at the Enhanced Games doesn’t mean you need to. Although you’d enter such an event and not do them, it seems like an odd choice.
Clean athletes at the Enhance Games?
Brett Fraser, chief athletics officer of the Enhanced Games and former Olympian, says it’s fine to compete clean at the EG. “You can be a natural athlete and compete at the Enhanced Games,” he told Cyclist. “In fact, I can’t wait to see natural athletes competing among enhanced athletes because maybe taking all these enhancements actually doesn’t help performance in the long run.”
Many cyclists have spoken up about the Games, saying that it could be very dangerous for athletes. Given cycling’s dark history with doping, it’s a perfectly understandable concern.
Cycling’s tainted past with drugs
Those in the cycling world know full well the…
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