Enhanced Games Athletes Claim No Performance-Enhancing Drugs Used

【Las Vegas (Nevada, USA) Jiji】Athletes participating in the new competition 'Enhanced Games,' which condones doping, met with reporters in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on the 22nd, with Fred Kerley (USA), who has a personal best of 9.76 seconds in the men's 100 meters and won a silver medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, claiming he would compete without using banned substances.

Organizers are recruiting athletes with appearance fees and a $1 million (approximately 160 million yen) prize for achieving a world record. Kerley was suspended for two years in March this year for violating doping regulations by failing to provide whereabouts information. He stated that his participation in this competition is for financial reasons and regarding banned substances, he said, 'I don't need them. God gave me fast legs.'

James Magnussen (Australia), who won a silver medal in the men's 100m freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics, emphasized that 'there are no long-term health risks' as drugs will be used under the supervision of experts. Regarding the purpose of the competition, he explained, 'It's not just about breaking records, but about extending healthy lifespan,' and presented his theory that it would also contribute to medical advancements.

The competition will feature athletics, swimming, and weightlifting on the 24th. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and several other international organizations have strongly condemned the competition.