PED stands for Performance Enhancing Drugs. You may have also heard the terms PES which stands for Performance Enhancing Substances. Until now, in all «athletic» competitions they were strictly forbidden to use. The cases of athletes using such substances to achieve results are numerous. The scandals and tainted results from their use have been coming one after the other. Fans, disappointed from the lack of sportsmanship, have been driven away from the stadiums. Punters, disheartened by the unfairness, have been driven away from the top Asian and European bookmakers. WADA has been trying their best to cope with the situation and take them out of the competitions. However, it seems that things are about to change. And probably for the worse.
They call them Enhanced Games
In May this year, there was a set of sporting events held, where the participating athletes were allowed to use PEDs. In 2026, in Las Vegas, there will be the official opening of a competition that will have the title of Enhanced Games. Aron D’Souza, a businessman from Australia, funds these games (with Christian Angermayer – a German billionaire – as co-founder), under the notions that:
- Athletes have the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies
- The International Olympic Committee is a corrupt organization
- WADA (the international anti-doping agency) is an unwarranted police force that stands against science
As a safeguard against people going over the line, only drugs approved by the FDA can be used. Controlled substances like heroin or cocaine are also off limits. And the only reason for that is that if such medication was allowed no insurance company would cover the events.
Furthermore, other means of enhancing performance like specially designed shoes or prosthetic limbs, will also be allowed. Additionally, all participants will be constantly monitored by doctors while the classification for the various events will be based on the sex determined by each individual’s chromosomes.
Is it philosophical, just money, or something a lot deeper
While the reasons given for the organization of such an event border on rather philosophical issues, there is a substantial sentiment that says that all of it, is just money. Billions will be poured in from various sponsors (starting with the developers of such substances), as the greatest asset for a successful sponsorship is the success of the athlete that is sponsored. A great deal more will also be spent on research and development since one of the key members of the endeavor is George Church, who is a geneticist.
In fact, this is where things get heated. Are we talking about these events being the means of genetic experimentation? Will we see in the future athletes specifically bread for records and gold medals? It is well-known that this is what the countries of the Iron Curtain have tried to do in the past. However, they tried to medically enhance children after they were born. The presence of a geneticist seems to indicate that there will be an intervention even before the fetus is even conceived!
Is this where sports are headed
Typically, it’s a fact of life, that the human body has limitations. And it seems that these have been reached. In the past, records were broken on a regular basis. Now, it seems harder and harder to set a new world record or even a new Olympic record. Admittedly, the lack of new achievements does make sports look boring. But is it a good enough reason to put athlete’s health in risk to push the boundaries?
Also admittedly, if people know that a set of athletic events is carried out under the premise that PEDs are allowed, they can accept that it is the choice of the participants themselves. It’s the same level of fairness if all runners of a race use those substances. The unfairness comes when someone does and someone else doesn’t. So, opening an account at the best betting software and placing bets on such events can be acceptable.
