Enhanced Games sues World Aquatics, WADA and USA Swimming for $800m

The privately funded 2026 Enhanced Games set to happen in Las Vegas permits athletes to make use of efficiency enhancing substances with out being topic to drug checks. It is now suing World Aquatics, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and USA Swimming for $800m after accusing them of orchestrating an illegal effort to discourage athletes from taking part.

The President of the Enhanced Games, Aron D’Souza, advocates “superhumanity” and has efficiently enticed athletes akin to Australian swimmer and three-time Olympic medallist James Magnussen with prize cash of as much as $500,000 per occasion, together with $1 million bonuses for breaking world data within the 100m dash or 50m freestyle.

The Enhanced Games is backed financially by 1789 Capital, an organization co-founded by Donald Trump Jr, Peter Thiel’s Apeiron Investment Group, and hedge fund Karatage.

Despite with the ability to entice just a few athletes by cash, D’Souza said that World Aquatics, WADA and USA Swimming are considerably lowering the variety of athletes signing up by disparaging the Games: “Until this difficulty is resolved, it’s inflicting irreparable hurt to our potential to signal athletes…

Athletes who’re each ‘natural’ and ‘enhanced’ can compete on the video games. That’s a part of the narrative that makes this fascinating. Can a ‘natural’ athlete beat an ‘enhanced’ athlete?”

He additionally referred to international anti-doping rules as “outdated and hypocritical.”

In June, World Aquatics introduced that it’s going to expel athletes, coaches and officers from elite competitors in the event that they select to contain themselves within the 2026 Enhanced Games as a result of the governing physique doesn’t want to align itself with the promotion of banned performance-enhancing medication in any approach.

The president of World Aquatics, Husain al-Musallam, voiced that anybody who “supports, endorses, or participates in sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices that may include prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods” will probably be barred from World Aquatics’ competitions. This not solely consists of athletes, but additionally coaches, directors and medical workers.

World Aquatics banned Brett Hawke from taking part in any official capability at World Aquatics-sanctioned occasions as a result of he accepted a training place with the Enhanced Games, for instance.

World Aquatics additionally inspired associations to “adopt similar policies at the national level to uphold consistent standards across the sport.”

In phrases of WADA, the company beforehand voiced: “As we have seen through history, performance-enhancing drugs have taken a terrible physical and mental toll on many athletes. Some have died. Clearly this event would jeopardize [athletes’ health and well-being] by promoting the abuse of powerful substances and methods that should only be prescribed, if at all, for specific therapeutic needs.”

It additionally said that athletes who take part within the Enhanced Games “would also put their reputations on the line, as they would risk forever being associated with doping.”

USA Swimming has not carried out bans like World Aquatics for these affiliated with the Enhanced Games, but it surely did launch the next assertion: “Even if you are not personally engaged in doping, affiliation with the Enhanced Games could significantly affect your ability to participate in future competitions due to U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (“USADA”) and World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”) guidelines and rules. Therefore, we really feel you will need to remind you of the related guidelines and dangers surrounding doping actions inside the Olympic Movement.”

It additionally said: “Please note that any involvement can lead to anti-doping rule violations, as there are rules prohibiting association with certain individuals serving a period of ineligibility for an anti-doping violation.”

The Enhanced Games’ official assertion might be discovered here.