Two years after the controversial concept of the doping-encouraged Enhanced Games entered the public eye, Games founder and president Dr. Aron D’Souza announced the host city and dates for its inaugural edition: Las Vegas, May 22–24, 2026.
The first edition of the Enhanced Games will be held at Resorts World Las Vegas on the Strip, with all events taking place in a custom-built competition complex inside the hotel and casino. Unlike the Olympic Games, which feature 32 sports, the Enhanced Games will limit its program to just three: swimming, athletics and weightlifting.
Here’s the full list of events:
Swimming: 50m and 100m freestyle, 50m and 100m butterfly
Track & Field: 100m sprint, 100m/110m hurdles
Weightlifting: Snatch, Clean & Jerk
The complex will include a four-lane, 50-metre pool, a six-lane sprint track, and a weightlifting stage. All events will be streamed globally in what D’Souza describes as an “immersive digital format” meant to reshape the way fans experience sport.
“We live in a world transformed by science—from vaccines to AI,” said D’Souza in a press release. “But sport has stood still. Today, we’re not updating the rulebook—we’re rewriting it. And we’re doing it safely, ethically and boldly.”
What are the Enhanced Games?
According to their website, “The Enhanced Games promotes the use of science and focuses on core sports, aiming to break world records and ensure fair compensation for athletes.” They argue that performance-enhancing drugs, when used responsibly, can significantly enhance training outcomes and allow athletes to reach their full potential.
D’Souza said his motive behind creating the Enhanced Games goes beyond just athletes using drugs. He wants to design a modernized science-driven event for social media and broadcast television, which he hopes will appeal to the public’s short attention spans. D’Souza isn’t the only man behind the project; his concept has attracted several Silicon Valley investors, including German-American billionaire and co-founder of PayPal, Peter Thiel, and the son of the current U.S. president, Donald Trump Jr., who have both invested a single-digit million-dollar figure into the venture.
In a March 2024 interview with Canadian Running, D’Souza said these Games will be built on giving athletes the recognition and compensation they deserve: “For the amount of work these athletes have to put in, they are not compensated for it (compared to professional athletes in other sports). They don’t have professional leagues, and get little to no recognition for their performances.”
Each of the nine events will carry a prize purse of US$500,000, with US$250,000 awarded to first place. In addition, the Enhanced Games will offer appearance fees and record-breaking bonuses, including US$1,000,000 for breaking world records in the 100m sprint (track) and 50m freestyle (swim)–what D’Souza indicates are the two definitive tests of raw human speed.
According to D’Souza, four of the 10 fastest 100-metre sprinters in history have approached him, and he hopes to have a roster of 100 athletes across the nine disciplines come next year.
The criticism
The Enhanced Games have faced widespread criticism from senior figures in anti-doping and sports, including World Athletics president Sebastian Coe. The athletics head didn’t mince words, calling the doping-encouraged competition “bollocks” and “a dangerous clown show.”
Travis Tygart, chief executive of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), echoed Coe, calling it a “clown show”, and the World Anti-Doping Agency described it as a “dangerous and irresponsible project”.
At the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Coe warned that any athlete participating in the Enhanced Games would face a lengthy ban from athletics. World Aquatics (formerly FINA) also condemned the event, stating that if any of its athletes took part, they would be banned from competition.
