LAS VEGAS — It’s hard to describe exactly what is happening in Las Vegas on Sunday, so we’ll just cut to the chase.
Forty-two world-class athletes, some of them former Olympians, will compete in swimming, track and weightlifting for $25 million in prize money. And none of them will be drug-tested after their events.
It’s the inaugural Enhanced Games — you might have heard it called the “Steroid Olympics” — where athletes will try to set world records, as those pay $1 million. (Event winners get $250,000.)
And the playing field is even, if not elevated.
Testosterone, anabolic steroids, growth factors, metabolic modulators and Adderall are all fair game, never mind the bans by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Health professionals have monitored a combination of the substances used by 36 of the athletes in what’s been a four-month clinical trial leading to Sunday’s showcase of “the healthiest athletes in the world.”
That’s according to former Olympic swimming medalist James Magnussen, the Australian who has bulked up and in the process claims to have cut his biological age from 35 years old to 23.
“Everybody wants to feel younger,” he said Friday night, “and when people tune in on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET, on Roku and YouTube) they will appreciate watching athletes striving to be the best version of themselves … and not lying about being clean when the race is over.”
“(Fans) will appreciate watching athletes striving to be the best version of themselves,” Australian swimmer James Magnussen says, “… and not lying about being clean.” (Etienne Laurent / AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. sprinter Shania Collins retired in 2024 and didn’t have to think twice about a boost back into the sport. She agreed to spend four months training with the other athletes in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for Sunday’s Games at the Resorts World complex.
“There were many reasons that I retired, but a large reason was the PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs) in the sport,” Collins, 29, said. “I thought it was unfair. I knew people who were taking it, even though we’re all saying we’re clean athletes. … I was curious. I was like, I want to know what it would be like if I had those advantages and those resources.”
Upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, athletes underwent 10 days of “jarring” medical assessments, as Magnussen called it. There were musculoskeletal tests, bone-density tests, a brain scan, kidney scans, liver scans, MRIs, a mental-health battery, and blood and urine tests.
“Usually, we’re just asked to check ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on a form before we compete,” Canadian weightlifter Mitchell Hooper said, smiling.
The athletes were then given a coach, a training facility, a nutrition regimen and recovery aids.
“We all made some lifelong friendships,” Collins said, “were paid more than we have ever made, and I think we were all surprised by how quickly and casually we started hitting personal bests.”
Ah, yes, the chemical cocktails do work. Athletes are not disclosing what combinations of substances they took, but they say that information will be published with the results of the clinical trial.
“As of right now, there have been no side effects, and I think many of us feel like professional athletes for the first time,” Magnussen said.
On Wednesday, Enhanced released the aggregate data on what the athletes took: Ninety-one percent used testosterone, and 79 percent used human growth hormone, while 29 percent used anabolic steroids.
U.S. sprinter Fred Kerley, a 100-meter medalist at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, is one of the headlining athletes for the first Enhanced Games. (Etienne Laurent / AFP via Getty Images)
The World Anti-Doping Agency calls the Enhanced Games a “dangerous and irresponsible concept.” WADA is one of many sporting organizations that have criticized the venture for the potential risks to athletes’ health and for casting aside traditional guardrails to sporting integrity. Founder Aron D’Souza, though, attracted deep-pocketed backers such as PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr., to go along with a team of scientists and doctors. While many medical experts warn about the potential long-term harm of using substances like human growth hormone and anabolic steroids, Enhanced says that’s all part of the ongoing study.
For now, enjoy the records, such as they are (the international governing bodies of each sport won’t recognize them) — and, oh yes, check out Enhanced’s line of consumer health products.
“I am very excited because this has never been done before,” Enhanced weightlifting coach Ivan Rojas said. “I call this the Transparency Games. Because let’s face it, I have been involved in weightlifting for 45 years, and enhancement has always been a part of the game.
“And now we’re doing it openly and honestly and in a controlled environment.”
The Enhanced Games’ lack of big-name participants, however, and the original plan to include gymnastics and combat sports was scrapped due to a lack of interested athletes. There are only two track races — the men’s and women’s 100-meter dash — on Sunday.
U.S. sprinter Fred Kerley, a two-time Olympic medalist in the men’s 100 meters, thinks that’s because people want to see the event first. Kerley is serving a two-year suspension for missing three scheduled drug tests, so his dance card was empty, and he wasn’t worried about risking further eligibility in future races.
He’s been telling other runners about his newfound financial security, and he says their ears perked up.
“I know a guy that got a silver medal at the Olympic Games and, shortly after, his contract was cut,” Kerley said. “Now, I’ve got a base salary. And they treat us right — we’ve got medical care and all that stuff around us. So I don’t stress over the income, it’s already there.
“I can just chill, perform, and enjoy doing something I love to do.”
The athletes are “healthy” right now, and they hope to be wealthy soon.
“We’re here to swim fast, make money and do something cool,” said American Cody Miller, a 2016 Olympic gold medalist in the 4×100-meter medley.
It’s almost time for the show on Sunday. The footprint it will cause, though, is hard to predict.
