Under the blazing Vegas sun, giant billboards advertise “Live Enhanced” as the baritone voice of a sports announcer pretends to introduce British swimmer Ben Proud and other athletes.
The announcer is practising at a new open air arena hosting one of the most controversial events in recent sporting history: the Enhanced Games.
Think Olympics on steroids. Literally.
The inaugural competition on Sunday will feature dozens of elite athletes using performance-enhancing drugs to try and break world records in track, weightlifting and swimming.
Some $25m (£18.6m) in prize money is up for grabs – with cash prizes for winners. World records in certain events, being eyed up by the likes of US sprinter Fred Kerley, pay a $1m (£740,000) bonus.
The drugs they use must be legal, and approved by the Federal Drug Administration. But substances like testosterone and human growth hormone – banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency – are not only celebrated here, they’re encouraged and for sale.
The project was founded by entrepreneurs Aron D’Souza and Maximilian Martin in 2023 and has attracted backing from prominent investors including billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.
Health experts warn that anabolic steroids and growth hormones can cause strokes and cardiovascular damage, among other risks.
