‘Olympics on steroids’: Controversial Enhanced Games begin in Las Vegas with ₹25 million prize pool

The highly controversial Enhanced Games 2026, often described by critics as the ‘Olympics on steroids’, began in Las Vegas on Sunday, with athletes openly using performance-enhancing drugs in a radical challenge to conventional sporting norms.

The inaugural edition of the competition will be held over the Memorial Day weekend and will feature swimming, athletics, weightlifting and a strongman exhibition.

Under giant ‘Live Enhanced’ billboards and amid heavy publicity across Las Vegas, organisers are promising what they describe as a new era of “enhanced human performance”, while critics warn the event could dangerously normalise drug use in sport and wider society.

The competition was founded in 2023 by entrepreneurs Aron D’Souza and Maximilian Martin and has attracted support from billionaire investor Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.

Unlike the International Olympic Committee (IOC)-sanctioned Olympic Games, athletes competing at the Enhanced Games are allowed and even encouraged to use substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), including testosterone and human growth hormone, provided the substances are legal and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Organisers claim the Games are designed to bring into the open what they describe as the hidden reality of performance-enhancing drug use in elite sport.

The event carries a total prize purse of $25 million, with winners in each event set to receive $250,000. Athletes who break designated world records will receive an additional $1 million bonus.

So far, a Greek swimmer, Kristian Gkolomeev, has broken a world record time. He came in at 20.81 in the freestyle swimming event, which was 0.07 seconds faster than the previous time. He took home a total of $1.25 million, a life-changing sum of money for himself and his family.

A $1,000,000 WORLD RECORD SWIM!

Kristian Gkolomeev wins the Men’s 50m Freestyle in 20.81s and takes home $1,000,000 bonus + $250,000 first place prize and reclaims his 50M Freestyle world record. pic.twitter.com/A9XApwrYPS

— Enhanced Games (@enhanced_games) May 25, 2026

Elite athletes from multiple countries have participated in the inaugural edition, including swimmers Benjamin Proud, James Magnussen and Hunter Armstrong, as well as track stars Fred Kerley and Marvin Bracy-Williams.

Weightlifting and strongman events featured competitors including Thor Björnsson and Mitchell Hooper.

The Games include swimming events such as 50m and 100m races, 100m sprint competitions, snatch and clean-and-jerk weightlifting events, and a deadlift showcase.

Organisers also lined up musical performances, including a concert by The Killers and a live performance by Alan Walker.

The event has been streaming live through the Roku Sports Channel, as well as YouTube, Rumble, Twitch and Kick platforms.

The Enhanced Games have sparked fierce criticism from anti-doping authorities, medical experts and Olympic officials.

Health experts have reportedly warned that anabolic steroids and growth hormones can cause strokes, cardiovascular disease, hormonal disorders and long-term psychological complications.

On social media, critics argue the event undermines the ethical foundations of international sport and could encourage younger generations to experiment with performance-enhancing substances.

One user on Instagram, @dalerg33, wrote: “I think whether people like this or not the @enhanced_games are here to stay. A majority of these athletes weren’t even in their prime. Most were late 20’s into late 30’s some not competing for years. The thing that makes this really different is the money. If they can get athletes in their prime at the top of their sports and expand the sports they have over time it’ll probably be a huge success. I understand if people hated it and I was disappointed more WR weren’t broken too but it's only the first one. I’d watch again next year.”

While another user, @leonardoavila132321329, argued the existence of the game and wrote: “This has to be a social experiment. By far, the worst sporting event in history.”

As per reports, Joe Vennare, founder of health and wellness analysis platform Fitt Insider, warned that normalising performance-enhancing drugs could have wider cultural and health consequences.

He said growing social media pressure surrounding body image, cosmetic procedures and physical perfection was already contributing to rising cases of body dysmorphia, particularly among young men.

Despite the criticism, organisers insist the Games represent the future of elite performance and claim modern sport is already plagued by hidden doping practices.

Earlier this month, the Enhanced Group, the company behind the games, also began trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as per reports.

Observers have reportedly noted that the event is also being used as a commercial platform to market supplements and performance-enhancing products online, raising further concerns among regulators and public health experts.

Whether the Enhanced Games become a long-term sporting phenomenon or remain a controversial experiment in sports entertainment may depend on how audiences, sponsors and athletes respond after the inaugural edition in Las Vegas.