On the eve of a highly debated sports event, one swimmer described taking banned drugs for the first time. “I was anxious, to be honest,” said Andriy Govorov, the 50m butterfly world record-holder. “Because there’s no way back.” The 34-year-old Ukrainian indicated the injection sites on his body where performance-enhancing substances first entered. He noted discomfort with needles, recalling fainting during earlier blood tests. Govorov stands to gain up to $1m if the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas succeed this Sunday. The event permits anabolic steroids, testosterone and human growth hormone, substances banned in conventional sport. Forty-two athletes from swimming, athletics and weightlifting are taking part, roughly half of them Olympians. They include Britain’s Ben Proud, a Paris Games silver medallist, and Fred Kerley, the 2022 world 100m champion. Proud receives a six-figure salary and could earn an additional $2.5m by winning two events and breaking records. The concept has drawn strong criticism from regulators. The World Anti-Doping Agency described it as dangerous and irresponsible, citing long-term health risks and past fatalities linked to prohibited substances. Co-founder Christian Angermayer defended the event, arguing that medically supervised enhancement represents an emerging global trend. He suggested the Games could drive interest in related prescription products. The agency countered that approved drugs still carry serious side-effects, including cardiovascular problems and hormonal disruption. Angermayer maintained that supervised use is safer than legal substances such as alcohol. He rejected political labels attached to early investors and emphasised body autonomy under medical oversight. Govorov stated that participants undergo health checks and weigh risks personally before competing.
