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Enhanced Games spark debate over doping, money and athlete safety

BBC Sport •
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In Abu Dhabi, 40 elite sprinters, swimmers and weightlifters gathered for a luxury training camp that promised a $1m prize for breaking world records. The event, dubbed the "Steroid Olympics", offered athletes prohibited substances like testosterone, nandrolone and HGH.

Organisers claim the drugs were FDA‑approved and administered under clinical supervision. Yet the IOC and WADA branded the Games "immoral" and banned participants from World Aquatics events. UK Sport warned it could withdraw funding from any athlete who signs up.

Critics argue the event normalises risk, blurs clean sport principles and could encourage broader cheating. Proponents say it rewards talent and exposes the shortcomings of current anti‑doping measures. The Enhanced Games force sport bodies to confront whether stricter controls or a more open stance is the right path forward.