In an interview with BBC Sport<\/a>, Proud said the decision comes \u2018at a time in my career where I’m satisfied, I’m happy. I’m ready to step away.\u2019 He added that he does not believe Enhanced Games undermines clean sport, but rather, that it\u2019s \u2018a very cutting edge aspect of sport\u2019 and \u2018something different\u2019.<\/p>\n What to read nextWhat Are the Enhanced Games?<\/p>\n Launched as a concept in 2023, the Enhanced Games is the brainchild of Australian businessman Aron D’Souza, who, according to his Instagram bio, is \u2018on a mission to build a new superhumanity\u2019.<\/p>\n In one post<\/a>, he says: \u2018I’m proud to lead The Enhanced Games \u2013 a bold reimagination of global athletics. By challenging outdated rules and embracing safe, supervised enhancement, we aim to push the boundaries of human potential and redefine sports.\u2019<\/p>\n Athletes competing in D’Souza\u2019s Enhanced Games can take some FDA-approved substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which has called the event a \u2018dangerous and irresponsible project\u2019.<\/p>\n Proud doesn\u2019t agree. \u2018Everything is FDA-approved. Everything’s readily available to the general public. It’s done under very strict supervision from doctors and healthcare professionals, and I will never take anything that I am unsure of,\u2019 he told BBC Sport. \u2018They are not allowing anyone to participate if they are under any stress or health<\/a> risks.\u2019<\/p>\n Planned to be an annual competition, the first Enhanced Games will include short-distance swimming<\/a>, sprinting<\/a> and weightlifting<\/a> and is due to take place in Las Vegas next year, from May 21-24.<\/p>\n Related Story<\/p>\n As well as the temptation of \u2018superhuman\u2019 athletic feats, the financial reward is likely attractive to would-be competitors, too. Athletes are offered appearance fees and bonuses, with Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev receiving $1m (\u00a3739,000) for his \u2018world record\u2019 50m freestyle time trial in the US earlier this year.<\/p>\n Proud said he \u2018respects the traditional sport for everything it\u2019s done\u2019 and that he would never return having taken a banned substance. <\/p>\n \u2018The only reason I’ve taken this contract is because I feel really secure with the support system that is put in place,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n After admitting that he thinks he has done everything he can in the clean version of the sport, Proud also expressed frustration at the way doping had been handled throughout his career. \u2018There’ll always be people developing new techniques, or people getting away with things,\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n With the Enhanced Games, Proud said he feels like he\u2019s \u2018in the safest hands\u2019 he has been in his career due to the direct supervision from professional doctors.<\/p>\n Related Story<\/p>\n His announcement has attracted mixed reactions from sports fans, who seem divided by the concept and what it offers both athletes and audiences. <\/p>\n \u2018The whole idea is a terrible idea, and paying “enhanced athletes” $1m for beating a world record sounds like another nail in clean sport’s coffin & a slippery slope that will not end well, regardless of whether it’s done under very strict supervision from doctors,\u2019 said one commenter on BBC Sport\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n Another had little belief in the longevity of the Games: \u2018Nah \u2013 It’ll be over once they run out of money \u2013 no-ones watching this stuff and breaking the world record by 0.02 [how much Gkolomeev broke the record by] is hardly going to grab the imagination of the general public (unless they go extreme and add extra arms and stuff!)\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018From a scientific point of view it\u2019s a fascinating experiment,\u2019 another commenter mused. \u2018I\u2019m vehemently opposed to doping in clean sport, but this has said from the start that it isn\u2019t clean sport so I don\u2019t see a moral dilemma here. The IOC & WADA should actually work with the enhanced games to see what the blood work of fully doped unmasked athletes looks like and see if they can tighten their own regimens off of it.\u2019<\/p>\n Sports governing body Aquatics GB has expressed disappointment on social media in Proud\u2019s announcement, and UK Sport added that it \u2018condemns everything the Enhanced Games stands for\u2019.<\/p>\n Related Stories Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Nutrition Writer across Women\u2019s Health UK\u00a0and Men\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis.\u00a0<\/p>\n She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World\u00a0and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity.\u00a0<\/p>\n A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n