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≡ ENHANCED GAMES ≡
After a year of promotion, lawsuits and a roller-coaster of financial and legal questions, the doping-friendly Enhanced Games will take place on Sunday, 25 May, at a specially-arranged facility at Resorts World Las Vegas.
The project now includes 42 athletes, of whom 18 are in swimming, 13 in track & field and 11 in weightlifting. Four of these athletes have said they are not taking any prohibited substances and expect to be able to maintain their eligibility under the World Anti-Doping Code. These include American swim star Hunter Armstrong, Egyptian swimmer Sohib Khaled and American track & field sprinter Shania Collins.
The events and world-record bonuses are heavily weighted to men’s swimming, with prize money for the top place winners in track and swimming.
Athletics:
● Men/100 m (7 entries): $250,000-125,000-75,000-50,000-30,000-20,000-20,000
● Women/100 m (6): $250,000-125,000-75,000-50,000-30,000-20,000
● World-record bonuses: $1 million for men and women
Swimming:
● Men/50 m Free (4): $250,000-125,000-75,000-50,000
● Men/100 m Free (4): $250,000-125,000-75,000-50,000
● Men/50 m Back (4): $250,000-125,000-75,000-50,000
● Men/100 m Breast (4): $250,000-125,000-75,000-50,000
● Men/50 m Fly (4): $250,000-125,000-75,000-50,000
● Men/100 m Fly (4): $250,000-125,000-75,000-50,000
● Men/World-record bonus: $1 million for 50 Free; $250,000 for others
● Women/50 m Free (4): $250,000-125,000-75,000-50,000
● Women/100 m Free (4): $250,000-125,000-75,000-50,000
● Women/World-record bonus: $250,000 for 50 Free; $1 million for 100 Free
Weightlifting:
● Men/Snatch and Clean & Jerk (6)
● Women/Snatch and Clean & Jerk (3)
● Only listed prizes are $250,000 for world records
There is also a men’s Deadlift competition.
The facility is to hold 2,500 invited guests and will be shown online Sunday with the competition beginning at 6 p.m. Pacific time on Roku, YouTube, Rumble, Twitch and Kick.
An Enhanced Games release issued Wednesday described “substance usage by athletes during the 12-week trial period” by 36 of the 42 competitors, two of whom did not use any prohibited substances. This included:
● “91% of athletes used testosterone or testosterone esters”
● “79% of athletes used human growth hormone (hGH)”
● “62% of athletes used stimulants (eg. Adderall)”
● “50% of athletes used metabolic modulators, primarily ancillary compounds (eg. Anastrozole) which was used alongside anabolic agents to support protocols”
● “41% of athletes used erythropoietin (EPO)”
● “29% of athletes used an anabolic steroid agent (eg. Deca durabolin)”
● “5% of athletes used hormonal support therapies (eg. hCG)”
The track & field stars include two American sprinters, both currently suspended for doping offenses: two-time Olympic 100 m medalist Fred Kerley and 2022 Worlds 100 m silver medalist Marvin Bracy-Williams.
Olympic medalist swimmers in the field include Ben Proud (GBR: Paris 2024 50 m Free silver), James Magnussen (AUS: London 2012 100 m Free silver) and Cody Miller (USA: Rio 2016 100 m Breast bronze).
Observed: It’s important to note that the Enhanced Games itself is not the point. It’s a promotional program for supplements and telehealth programs that the New York Stock Exchange-listed Enhanced Group is selling online.
As for the show, that’s what it is. Its initial appeal is demonstrated by the streaming-only broadcast line-up, but there will be onlookers who want to see if anything interesting happens.
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