On the Neon-clad Strip in Las Vegas – a city known for pushing the boundaries in the pursuit of entertainment and profit – one of the most controversial events in sports history is about to take the stage.
Featuring athletes who have taken performance-enhancing drugs banned from regular competition, the first Advanced Games will finally take place this weekend, sparking both disappointment and intrigue.
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For many critics, ‘Sin City’ provides a fitting backdrop to what they see as a disturbing spectacle, which they say trivialises doping, undermines the long fight against cheating and puts the lives of those taking part at risk.
Those who support the so-called ‘Steroid Olympics’ insist that the event will reward athletic excellence, celebrate scientific innovation and test human potential.
So what is the power behind Advanced Games? Is it a sign of things to come? And what questions are forcing sports – and society at large – to face?
It’s been three months since a group of 40 Advanced Sports athletes representing running, swimming and weightlifting gathered in Abu Dhabi for an all-expenses-paid training camp at a luxury venue boasting state-of-the-art sports facilities.
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Attracted by the kind of appearance fees most can only dream of, and the exciting prospect of a $1m prize if they manage to beat the world record in their training, the event has provided an opportunity to expand or renew sporting careers.
Then there were drugs.
At a hospital about 20 minutes’ drive from the city’s outskirts, athletes are given individually tailored programs of ‘enhancement procedures’ – things strictly prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) but allowed there.
While competitors have yet to say exactly what each of them took, it can be revealed that controlled performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) include testosterone, anabolic steroids (such as methenolone and nandrolone), hormones and growth factors (including HGH and EPO), metabolic modulators and stimulants.
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Although the promoters insisted that these drugs were approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and were given as part of clinical trials under strict medical supervision with all participants closely monitored, the project has been condemned by sports organizations and anti-doping authorities.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and WADA called it “bad” and a “dangerous and irresponsible idea” in a joint statement last year. World Aquatics has become the first governing body to ban anyone involved in Advanced Sports from its events. UK Sport said it could withdraw funding from any registered athletes.
For decades, sports have been waging an uphill battle against drug cheats, in an effort to preserve the integrity of competition and ensure that viewers don’t believe what they see.
Now, here is an event that, for many, breaks the traditional rules that fair play relies on. Which, whatever the organizers may say about it being different from regular games, would be a bad example and could lead to more cheating in regular tournaments.
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Those behind Advanced Games rely on several arguments to defend this concept:
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The current system fails to properly reward athletes for their skills and dedication to provide the entertainment that sports organizations rely on for revenue. The IOC says it redistributes 90% of its revenue, while UK Sport says it does everything it can to provide athletes with financial support. But all the Advanced Games athletes BBC Sport spoke to when they were given the chance to join the training camp in February said the money was their biggest motivation and they felt they were underpaid while working.
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The war against doping has been shown to be futile, expensive and incompatible, with the framework of laws and punishments driving doping underground, where the use of masks makes it even more dangerous for the health of athletes. Proponents of improved Games insist that an approach based on freedom, choice and openness – but done in a controlled way – is better. So can Enhanced Games force more debate about anti-doping? Last year David Howman, chairman of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and former head of Wada, admitted that the anti-doping system was “stagnant”, saying “we are not doing enough these days to catch cheaters”. But that doesn’t mean public support for the laws is waning. Research has shown that the majority still believe that protecting fair play is important and support the banning of cheating.
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Advanced Games will show a new frontier of self-improvement and the use of science to transcend the boundaries of biology. This is much more than a sporting event. In March the company behind Enhanced Sports launched a “personalized medicine and supplement platform” on its website, touting its “performance and longevity products”, including male and female hormone replacement therapy, peptides and weight loss drugs.
“I believe that consumers will see the tangible results that the Enhanced Group athletes get and want to use those enhancements in their lives,” said German financier Christan Angermayer, Enhanced’s founder, major shareholder and investor in the psychedelic biotech company.
Other backers include tech billionaire Peter Thiel – a libertarian who has advised Donald Trump – and 1789 Capital, an investment fund in which Donald Trump Jr, the US president’s eldest son, is a partner.
“The Enhanced Group sports event will greatly expand the market, making millions and millions of people see the power of enhancements that would otherwise not exist,” said Angermayer, in comments that will reinforce the idea that the event is being used as a marketing tool.
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“I believe we are at the beginning of a global, decade-long trend in human development and consumer biotech.”
British Olympic swimmer Ben Proud says Advanced Games gives him a “new opportunity” and doesn’t denigrate clean sports. [Getty Images]
The games take place at a time when concerns are being raised about the medical treatment of Western society, where social media and ‘looksmaxxing’ have been blamed for fueling the demand for weight loss injections, medical cosmetics and equipment.
According to UK Anti-Doping (Ukad), a “concerning” number of young people are exposed to “life-threatening” advertisements on social media for performance-enhancing substances on a regular basis.
In the US, the FDA is considering easing restrictions on the use of peptide injections after Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr pushed to deregulate the treatments.
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The move was welcomed by Enhanced, who said they “plan to provide access to additional peptides”.
Synthetic forms of peptides have historically been injected by weightlifters and bodybuilders to enhance performance, but critics warn that they introduce a range of health problems.
Ukad chief executive Jane Rumble told BBC Sport that Enhanced Sports “sends a dangerous message about PEDs, much less the associated health risks, and those risks are significant”.
Professor Ian Broadley of the University of Birmingham, whose research was supported by Wada, says the contestants are at greater risk of heart attacks and mental problems and that organizers’ assurances about medical supervision were “inaccurate and misleading”.
Australia’s James Magnussen came out of retirement to compete in the improved competition [Getty Images]
BBC Sport asked Australian Enhanced swimmer James Magnussen, whose body built up after taking PEDs last year became infected, if he was worried about the long-term health impact.
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“I believe that would have had long-term effects on my life, certainly there would have been short- to medium-term indicators saying ‘hey, this isn’t tracking well, you’re seeing bad results’. So far we haven’t seen that,” said the three-time Olympian.
“As professional athletes, we are putting our health at risk by nature for what we do. There is nothing healthy about training your body for 30 hours a week.”
Some think the former world champion has a point.
Byron Hyde, a respected researcher at Bangor University, says the critics are “ignoring the fact that Enhanced Sports makes clear what society has been tacitly accepting – that many people are willing to watch athletes take risks if entertainment is enough.
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“That is something that all sports organizations should spend a lot of time thinking about.
“If brain trauma is the potential price for the fun of boxing, why the outrage about the dangers of drug development? The Olympics celebrate athletes who push their bodies to extremes.
“Studies have shown serious physical and mental harm in many sports. Advanced Sports simply pushes the limits of danger to an already accepted society.”
Such an argument has little force with UK Sports director Kate Baker.
“We are determined to win well,” he told BBC Sport. “We know that there are some things that we were proud of before, but we are far from that.
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“So even admitting that Enhanced Games is a real thing feels difficult to us. It’s definitely something we can totally resist.
“If you are highly talented in our program, you will be supported to achieve your potential, and you will do it in a healthy and non-harmful way.
“We have recently contacted all our athletes to confirm that you may be in breach of our eligibility policy if you choose to take part in these events. They will not be eligible for any UK Games funding, but also their ability to receive training and medical support.”
As the debate heats up, in Las Vegas a purpose-built arena is ready to welcome more than 2,000 invited guests to the event which will be broadcast live for those curious enough to watch.
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The event is, according to Angermayer, “prepared for the practical use of its sport through social media” and “has the potential to become one of the most important new sports created in decades”.
Whether that confidence is confirmed is uncertain.
Last year a kad study found that 66% of parents said they would not watch or let their children watch Advanced sports.
But we will find out if the participants can add to the world record that Greek Advanced swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev achieved last year in a test event, with the help of PEDs and a swimsuit banned from official competition. That time has since passed for a competitive swimmer to clean up.
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The world of traditional sports is being challenged like never before, as there are plenty of disruptors and innovators pushing the boundaries to grow.
But few – if any – have caused as much controversy – or raised as many questions – as Advanced Games.
Those behind it say it’s here to stay, and could expand to more events and other sectors.
The question is: at what cost?
