The Enhanced Games — nicknamed the 'steroid Olympics' — have officially launched in Las Vegas. Forty-two athletes compete in swimming, sprinting, weightlifting, and strongman events, all with one remarkable difference from traditional sport: performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are not only allowed, they're part of the deal. Athletes can use FDA-approved substances like testosterone and human growth hormone under medical supervision, and they can pocket a $1 million bounty for breaking a world record. The International Olympic Committee has condemned the event as an attack on fair play.
The founder, Australian tech entrepreneur Aron D'Souza, has built a handful of core arguments to legitimize the games. He claims clean sport is largely a myth, pointing to research suggesting over 40% of elite athletes already use PEDs. In a third argument intended to discredit anti-doping, D'Souza claims athletes in 'regular' sports use PEDs under the guise of Therapeutic Use Exemptions — though researchers point out that fewer than 1% of Olympic athletes actually hold valid exemptions.
D'Souza also argues the event will reduce the stigma around PED use. While this is positive from a harm reduction perspective, it might also increase the numbers of people who use them — a risk researchers flag as deeply concerning. Meanwhile, the bodily autonomy argument has real cracks: athletes follow strict drug protocols dictating exactly what they can take and when.
The Enhanced Games have powerful financial backers, including Donald Trump Jr's investment fund and billionaire Peter Thiel. Recent regulatory shifts under RFK Jr have loosened restrictions on testosterone prescribing, giving the event a surprisingly favorable political tailwind. Critics argue the organisers have a clear conflict of interest, since they also sell the very longevity drugs and peptides they promote.
