‘Juiced’ athletes have a new home; Enhanced Games to kick off in 2026

A group of billionaire investors have lit the torch on a new athletic competition

It's called the Enhanced Games, and the first event will take place in Las Vegas in May 2026

Organizers encourage the use of science and technology, and most notably performance-enhancing drugs

to get the best out of their athletes. Health risks be damned

Enhanced Games founder Aaron D'Souza is backed by billionaires Peter Thiel, the founder of PayPal

crypto investor Christian Engermeyer, and an investment firm run by Donald Trump Jr., among others

It's been dubbed the steroid Olympics, but D'Souza is thinking much bigger

He calls it the first step in superhumanity, and they are hoping not only to normalize enhancement in competition, but eventually in everyday life

Make no mistake, in 50 years we will look back and realize that biology was never the ceiling

It was only the starting line. We'll be faster. We'll be stronger

We'll be younger for longer. And we'll wonder why it took so long for society to catch up with the science

PEDs like testosterone, human growth hormone, and other steroids are legal with a prescription

But they're banned in nearly every sporting competition around the world, amateur and professional

For enhanced athletes like former Olympic swimmers Christian Colomiv and James Magnuson

it a chance at millions in prize money and a way to reach new heights never before possible After training with PEDs for months Colomiv set a new world record in the 50 freestyle at a closed meet in North Carolina His time of 20 seconds was verified by USA

swimming officials in attendance. The Greek swimmer who finished fifth at the Paris Olympic

Games earned a million dollars for the record. I'm very proud for the work that I did with my

coach the last four months. I feel happy and relieved that I broke the record

Officials from the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti-Doping Agency, and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency all issued statements condemning the competition

calling it reckless and saying it could jeopardize the health of athletes

Travis Tigert, the CEO of USADA, said it's a dangerous clown show, not a real sport

Former Olympic cross-country skier Noah Hoffman denounced the games on Sky News Thursday

It's counter to the ideals of inspiring young people to be able to set and achieve goals without needing to have the best doctors, without needing to take risks with their bodies

This is not what I sought out in sport, and I don't think what many other high-level, serious athletes are seeking out in sport

Athletes are being recruited from around the world for the games, which will be held at Resorts World in Las Vegas

The inaugural event will feature just three sports, sprinting, swimming and weightlifting

The winners of each competition will earn half a million dollars in prize money

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis