The Enhanced Video games launched as an idea in 2023, with some doping measures permitted underneath medical supervision.

Solely substances accredited by the USA’ Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) might be taken, which is totally different to the checklist the World Anti-Doping Company (Wada) permits for elite athletes.

Organisers have claimed the occasion “will ship transparency and well being security by eradicating the stigma of enhancement – bringing its accountable utilization into the sunshine, inside an accredited medical framework, and one which protects athletes who would in any other case danger their well being by working at nighttime to avoid punitive buildings in place as we speak”.

Nevertheless, the occasion has been criticised for endangering athletes’ well being and undermining honest play, with Wada describing it as a “harmful and irresponsible challenge” and Travis Tygart, chief govt of the US Anti-Doping Company, calling it a “clown present”.

Earlier this month, UK Athletics (UKA) mentioned it didn’t recognise the Enhanced Video games as a “legit sporting competitors”.

UKA mentioned it “locations athletes’ well being and welfare at critical danger”, including that “any occasion that promotes or permits using dangerous substances with the purpose of pushing the human physique to its restrict for short-term targets just isn’t sport as we worth it”.

The Enhanced Video games are deliberate to be an annual competitors, initially comprising short-distance swimming, sprinting and weightlifting, with the inaugural occasion set to be held in Las Vegas on 24 Could 2026.

The occasion presents look charges and bonuses, with Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev receiving a prize of $1m (£739,000) for beating a world document time within the US in February 2025.

Organisers mentioned he swam 20.89 seconds in a 50m freestyle time trial, 0.02 seconds faster than the world document set by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo in December 2009, though the time won’t be recognised by World Aquatics.