Enhanced Games president says Paris Olympians will be competing at his inaugural event

Organisers of the self-titled ‘Olympics of the future’ – the Enhanced Games – are forging ahead with the planning for their first event next year. And the Games’ president has made a big call about who will be competing.

James Magnussen of Australia is seen following the Mens 50m Freestyle Heats on day five of swimming competition at the XXI Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast Aquatic Centre on the Gold Coast, Australia, Sunday, April 9, 2018. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

The Enhanced Games president has lit a fuse ahead of this year’s Olympics, declaring his inaugural event will have a “great many” Paris Olympians – including Australians – competing at the world-first concept encouraging the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

As he again pushed his case for reform in international sports governance in the wake of the Chinese swimming doping scandal, Enhanced Games chief Aron D’Souza said he would have 50 to 100 Paris Olympic alumni compete at the first event, slated for midway through next year.

Self-titled the “Olympics of the future”, the Enhanced Games wants to become the world’s premier sporting event by backing the science of performance medicine to unlock the true potential of athletes and will reward them with million-dollar prizes for breaking world records.

Retired Australian Olympic swimmer James Magnussen was the first athlete to publicly commit – targeting the 50m freestyle world record – and D’Souza said there would “absolutely” be Paris Olympians from Australia competing at the first Enhanced Games.

While D’Souza was not at liberty to reveal any athlete names, he said the Paris Olympians would be from across the Enhanced Games’ five core disciplines – swimming and diving, track and field, weightlifting, combat sports and gymnastics – and he suggested there would be more big names revealed.

“There will be a great many Paris Olympians,” D’Souza said.

James Magnussen has signed up to compete at the Enhanced Games. (AAP Image/Darren England)

“We have a great many who are in the sign-up process at the moment, who are competing at (the) Paris (Olympics).

“I would hope 50-100 is (the number) of Paris Olympic alumni who would be competing at the first (Enhanced) Games.

“You will see at the Paris Olympics, some athletes are going to be very open about the Enhanced Games concept.

“We have quite a plan for the Paris Olympics.”

D’Souza said there would “absolutely” be Australian Paris Olympians competing at the first enhanced event, which has been backed by some of the world’s top venture capitalists and will openly encourage the use of performance-enhancements.

“I think we will have plenty of Australian athletes at the first Games,” D’Souza said.

“Our perfect candidate is not the 19-year-old who is going to their Olympics for the first time, it’s the 28-year-old who has gone to the Olympics twice and won a silver medal and they’re like, ‘I don’t want to become a personal trainer’, they feel like they have got a little bit more in them before their ‘retirement’ and put out to pasture at aged 30 in elite sports.”

Enhanced Games president Aron D'Souza.

The Enhanced Games have been met with disdain by the Olympic movement and anti-doping authorities, but organisers said that has not thwarted athlete interest.

Since the Enhanced Games’ call-out for competitors, D’Souza said 1500 athletes had formally applied to compete at the event, which will also be the subject of a documentary produced by Hollywood filmmaker Ridley Scott’s production company.

“Now it’s not a question of how many, it’s a question of quality,” D’Souza said.

“Our goal is to break many world records at the Enhanced Games. Obviously there are a few disciplines that come to mind; the 100m, the mile, the 50m free in the pool, the iconic ones.

“And finding the athletes that have that potential and giving them as much clinical, financial, training and coaching support so they can break those records at the first Games is really what is most important for us because that is what sets us apart and proves that humanity has hit this new threshold.

“I can tell you in marathon running, we have had great traction …. strength sports, power lifting etc, these athletes are lining up like there’s no tomorrow because they are all enhanced, they all know it.

“They’re not hiding, there is no stigma attached. Combat sports, there are many untested combat federations, so combat athletes are very excited by this.

“We have had great traction with swimmers … and then the only area I would say is a bit more challenging is actually in sprint distance track and field.”

The Enhanced Games will offer a big prize purse to athletes

In order to encourage athletes from the Olympic system, the Enhanced Games has already set out significant monetary incentives.

A “multimillion” prize purse would be offered for breaking a world records with hundreds of thousands for winners.

The Enhanced Games will also offer a base salary to competing athletes.

In the bid to shake up the international sporting landscape, D’Souza claimed to have already had a win after World Athletics announced last month it would become the first international federation to award prize money at an Olympic Games with $US50,000 on offer for athletes who win a gold medal in Paris.

“I am very proud that after 130 years, my team and I have been able to force the Olympics, at least in track and field, to finally start paying athletes and the end of amateurism is truly here and we need to recognise that excellence needs to be rewarded,” D’Souza said.

“A year ago we couldn’t even talk about the place of enhancements in sports and now we have been able to shift the entire conversation and we have been able to force (World Athletics president) Sebastian Coe to pay their athletes.

“So we are getting real traction.”

Australian swimmer James Magnussen has announced his intention to compete at the Enhanced Games, but some Paris Olympians may join him. Picture: Toby Zerna

But D’Souza said the latest Chinese doping scandal showed the system was “ripe” for reform and the Enhanced Games were in prime position to make it happen.

“It just shows how broken the system is,” D’Souza said.

“Foxes can’t be allowed to guard the hen house. The whole system does not work and it is not in the interest of athletes either to have a system where 23 Chinese swimmers were allowed to test positive for a banned substance and allowed to continue to compete (at the Tokyo Olympics) … it really just highlights the core of the dysfunction.

“The reality is the whole system has failed and it’s time, we think, for a parallel path and I think it will be a much safer and fairer for athletes when on the one side you have the Enhanced Games where performance enhancements are allowed and it’s open and transparent and on the other side the natural Olympics.

“I think everyone knows that the system is ripe for disruption, there is going to need to be a new better system and we are in pole position to do that.”

D’Souza said the Enhanced team was well-advanced with venue and broadcast negotiations for the event, but said it was “highly unlikely” any competition would be hosted in Australia.

ENDS

Originally published as Enhanced Games president says Paris Olympians will be competing at his inaugural event