Sport. Authorized doping, lucrative contracts… What are the Enhanced Games, a criticized competition that…

At your marks, get set, fire, boost! This Sunday, the city of Las Vegas (United States) hosts the first edition of the “Enhanced Games,” a controversial competition where doping is authorized and regulated. Swimmers, sprinters, and weightlifters have, for the most part, turned their backs on the world of traditional sports. The traditional sports world disparages this “Doping Games.”

The competition, for some an exploration of human and technological limits, and for others a dangerous circus aimed at selling miracle products based on testosterone, has stirred up controversy since Australian businessman Aron D’Souza announced the project in 2023. His company went public in early May.

On Sunday, 42 athletes (29 men and 13 women) will participate in these “Enhanced Games” at a Las Vegas casino with 2,500 spectators. The program includes athletics (100m), swimming (freestyle, butterfly), and weightlifting (snatch, shoulder press, and deadlift). If an athlete breaks a world record – which will obviously not be official – they will earn a one million dollar prize. Each winner will receive a $250,000 check.

Only one Frenchman is competing in these games. “The Enhanced Games are an opportunity to earn much more money than I could imagine in traditional athletics, where everything can quickly come to a halt. I have signed a multi-year contract. I don’t see how one can refuse that, except for people’s perception,” said sprinter Mouhamadou Fall in November. Currently suspended for doping, the 34-year-old athlete (the only Frenchman participating in the “Enhanced Games”) has decided to turn his back on traditional sports, driven by the prize money, curious about the performance aspect, and reassured by the health “guarantees” received. He will compete in the 100m against American Fred Kerley, a bronze Olympic medalist in the 100m in Paris in 2024, also under a doping suspension.

In a joint statement dated October 24, 2025, the French Ministry of Sports, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), and the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) declared that doping is “a serious violation of sports ethics and fundamental values of integrity, respect, and responsibility,” and contemplated disciplinary or criminal sanctions if a French athlete participated in these “games”.

The 42 participants, including British swimmer Ben Proud, the Olympic vice champion in the 50m freestyle, followed a medically supervised protocol where they received anabolic steroids, testosterone, and growth hormones in variable quantities, which were not disclosed.

The results are “crazy,” said Irish swimmer Max McCusker, claiming to “swim faster than before the 2024 Olympics” even after stopping swimming for a year. “This changes everything,” he added. “Records will inevitably fall.” Convinced that “clean sport does not exist,” he believes one must “keep up with the times”: “People want to see impressive times, athletes breaking records, and having impressive bodies.” The competition has received support from influential tech entrepreneurs, such as libertarian billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.

Despite these threats, American sprinter Fred Kerley, a double Olympic medalist in the 100m and the main star of the Enhanced Games, assured on Friday that he would compete “clean” on Sunday in Las Vegas. The 31-year-old silver and bronze Olympic medalist in the 100m in 2021 and 2024, suspended by the anti-doping unit, stated that he still aims to participate in the Los Angeles Games in 2028. “I don’t need it (doping). God gave me my speed for a reason. I’m here to show my talent,” said Kerley on Friday. He asserts that he will face “clean” competitors who may have had access to anabolic steroids, testosterone, or growth hormones. Also the 2022 world champion in the 100m, he stated during a press conference that he participated in the Enhanced Games for financial reasons.

The organizers, who also sell testosterone-based products, claim that only products approved by the US Food and Drug Administration were authorized, and everything was monitored by an independent medical team. “It’s science, it’s not done haphazardly. From a commercial standpoint, they had to be careful. If a problem occurs, they would sell less,” said Mouhamadou Fall. However, doping expert Ian Boardley from the University of Birmingham stated that athletes are “putting themselves in danger,” citing possible complications affecting the heart, liver, or kidneys.

Traditional broadcasters have refused to air the competition, which will be streamed live on YouTube and the Roku streaming platform.