What would it be like to watch a group of world-class athletes juiced to the gills, with legs the size of tree trunks and biceps big enough to need their own area code, compete on the world stage? That’s exactly what the Enhanced Games aim to find out when the controversial competition kicks off on Sunday, May 24.
The Enhanced Games, often referred to as the "Steroid Olympics," are a new Olympic-style sports competition founded by Australian entrepreneur Aron D'Souza. The project was inspired by the idea that elite sports already operate in a gray area of performance enhancement, and that athletes should be allowed to openly use medically supervised enhancement technologies instead of hiding them. I’d be willing to guess that the "Steroid Era" of baseball, where Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were launching bombs left and right, was his favorite era.
Organizers frame the event as pro-science, with a hyperfocus on a "human optimization" alternative to the International Olympic Committee and World Anti-Doping Agency systems, arguing that modern anti-doping rules are hypocritical, outdated and restrictive. I disagree, but watching these athletes make Steve Rogers-like transformations has been wild to witness, and the games haven’t even started.
Unlike the Olympics, athletes competing in the Enhanced Games are allowed to use performance-enhancing substances such as testosterone, HGH and EPO under medical supervision, though organizers say drugs must be regulated and monitored.
As for the most juiced athlete we’ve seen so far, look no further than Australian swimmer and former Olympian "The Missile" Magnussen.
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He is easily the most significant transformation. He quite literally looks like a combination of the Michelin Man and Arnold Schwarzenegger. My goodness! Look at those traps.
Magnussen was one of the top sprint freestyle swimmers of the 2010s and one of Australia’s most accomplished male swimmers in the 100m freestyle. He became the first Australian man ever to win the 100m freestyle world title, capturing gold at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships and was a three-time Olympic medalist.
For the inaugural Enhanced Games this weekend, Magnussen will also wear a full-body polyurethane super swimming suit that was banned after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Magnussen is reportedly 6’6" 250 lbs. For comparison, Michael Phelps is reportedly 6’4" 195 lbs. Dude is a walking, talking tank.
The Enhanced Games also recently released substance-use data from its clinical trial, revealing that 91% of athletes used testosterone, 79% used HGH, 62% used stimulants such as Adderall, 50% used metabolic modulators, 41% used EPO and 29% used anabolic steroids. So yes, these athletes will basically be superhuman.
The inaugural competition is being held in Las Vegas and features track and field, swimming and weightlifting events with massive cash incentives, including reported million-dollar bonuses for breaking recognized world records.
Competitors reportedly include Olympians and former world champions such as Fred Kerley, Ben Proud, James Magnussen, Hafthor Bjornsson, Kristian Gkolomeev and Reece Prescod.
Next, I need them to set up a home run derby with baseball players juiced with special appearances by Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez and Jose Canseco. I'll tune in for that as well.
