Justin Gatlin, a World and Olympic 100m champion with a history of doping sanctions, strongly criticizes the proposed “Enhanced Games,” scheduled for December 2024.
Gatlin, who previously faced doping bans due to testing positive for the use of amphetamines and testosterone, expressed dismay at the prospect of an international sports event where drug testing would not be enforced.
Initially announced in June 2023, the Enhanced Games aims to become an annual event featuring various sports such as track and field, swimming, weightlifting, gymnastics, and combat sports, all without drug testing protocols.
Gatlin, who faced a two-year ban in 2001 and a reduced eight-year ban from 2006 to 2010, labels the notion of utilizing enhancements as detrimental to the integrity of the sport.
He recounts his own experience of being ostracized after testing positive for amphetamines and testosterone use, the latter of which he claims was unknowingly rubbed onto him.
In a conversation on the Tidal League YouTube channel, Gatlin condemns the concept of turning the sport into a spectacle by glorifying the use of enhancements.
He accuses proponents of the Enhanced Games of disregarding athletes’ well-being, likening them to spectators who seek violence in sports like boxing and motor racing.
The veteran athlete predicts dire consequences for those resorting to enhancements, emphasizing the potential for shortened lifespans due to the detrimental effects of such substances.
Aron D’Souza, the president of the Enhanced Game’s organizing body, recently announced the acquisition of sufficient capital to finance the inaugural event. D’Souza conceived the idea for the Enhanced Games in 2022, inspired by observations of widespread steroid use in American gyms.
