The Enhanced Games, a series of Olympic-style competitions in which performance-enhancing drugs aren’t just permitted, but encouraged, will be held today at Resorts World. Self-consciously controversial, the Enhanced Games include swimming, weightlifting, and track and field and competitors can be on testosterone, anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, and stimulants (such as Adderal), among others. The one-day event has attracted 42 athletes and the prize pool is significant, more than $25 million; competitors can also win seven-figure bonuses for breaking world records. The Games are taking place in an open-air arena on a vacant portion of Resorts World property that was erected in the past couple of weeks. An invite-only crowd of 2,500 spectators — investors, digital creators, and influencers — are in attendance; no tickets were sold to the public. Proponents claim that the Games are meant to “push the limits of performance,” while critics insist they undermine the integrity of athletic competitions and normalize drug use. Fence sitters speculate that if the future involves AI taking over consciousness spaces, perhaps synthetic performance intensifiers will appropriate physical spaces.
Source: Las Vegas News