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yesterday

Enhanced Games 2026 Venue and Format Confirmed Amid Widespread Criticism

The Las Vegas event will permit performance-enhancing drug use under supervision, offering unprecedented prize money but facing condemnation from global anti-doping bodies.

Swimming - European Aquatics Championships - Sports and Recreational Center Milan Gale Muskatirovic, Belgrade, Serbia - June 23, 2024 Gold medallist, Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev poses with his medal on the podium after winning the men's 50m freestyle final REUTERS/Novak Djurovic/File Photo
Gkolomeev, a 31-year-old Bulgarian-born Greek who finished fifth in the Paris Olympics last summer, claims to have set a new world record
Cam McEvoy won gold at the Paris Olympics
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Overview

  • The inaugural Enhanced Games, scheduled for May 2026 in Las Vegas, will feature athletics, swimming, and weightlifting with no restrictions on performance-enhancing drug use.
  • Organizers have announced prize money of $250,000 for event winners and a $1 million bonus for breaking official world records.
  • Global anti-doping bodies, including WADA and USADA, have condemned the event as dangerous, citing risks to athlete health and the undermining of fair competition.
  • Prominent athletes like James Magnussen and Kristian Gkolomeev have joined the event, with Gkolomeev reportedly surpassing the official 50m freestyle world record under the program's protocols.
  • The Olympic Committee has warned its athletes against participation, calling the event a risky venture that contradicts the principles of clean sport.