Earlier this month, the Biden White House released a statement joining both the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in expressing “its deep concerns about… the ‘enhanced Games ‘ provided without anti-doping requirements.” Are such concerns really justified? NO.
“Why not solve the future problem of gene doping and the current problem of steroid use in professional sports by creating two types of sports leagues?” I asked way back in 2005. “One would be free of genetic and pharmacological enhancements: call them Natural Leagues. The other would allow players to use genetic fixes and other enhancements: call them Advanced Leagues.”
This is the healthy goal of the Enhanced Games, where competing athletes will be able to use enhancements to improve their performance. “We support the inclusion of science in sport and fundamentally believe that the choice to use enhancements is a personal one,” explain the organizers. “Sports Can Be Safer Without Drug Testing.”
In their response to the White House, Enhanced Games organizers reference a 2017 WADA-backed study that reported that nearly 44 percent of elite athletes had used performance enhancements in the past year. Their goal is to frankly acknowledge this reality and allow elite athletes to choose the locations (enhanced or natural) where they would like to compete.
Organizers of the Enhanced Games also suggest that the data collected on performance improvements will ultimately help the IOC more effectively maintain “natural” Olympic competition.
In response to advanced games, ARon D’Souzapresident of Enhanced Games, said:
We urge President Biden to engage with Enhanced Games on what is an inevitable evolution in sports. As a champion of science, President Biden has the opportunity to help the 44% of athletes who have used performance enhancements come out and compete safely. Only with a formal partnership between the IOC and the Enhanced Games can the Olympics’ drug testing finally be effective and ensure the integrity of their games.
During a Zoom press conference earlier this week, D’Souza clarified that evaluating the effectiveness of performance enhancements used in the competition will also advance transhumanist goals such as increasing healthy longevity. “The Advanced Games, with our medical oversight and screening apparatus, will create this unique data that will benefit not only the tested sports community but also longevity science in general as many compounds can be repurposed to fight diseases such as fragilities that are endemic in modern societies,” said Michael Sagner, scientific advisor at Enhanced Games.
In addition to accommodating performance enhancements, salient differences between the Olympic Games and the Enhanced Games include the fact that the latter is a privately funded, for-profit operation and that participating athletes are paid.
During the Zoom session, D’Souza said that many more details about Enhanced Games, including a major broadcast deal, will be announced soon.