'Olympics on steroids' CEO says they'll have stewards on call in case of overdosing athletes

• The Enhanced Games will have stewards ready to deal with any drug overdoses, its CEO told BI.
• The "Olympics on steroids" will allow competitors to use performance-enhancing drugs.

The CEO of the Enhanced Games — dubbed the "Olympics on steroids" — said there will be on-site stewards prepared to deal with any drug overdoses at the sporting event.

"It's a risk-management framework," said Aron D'Souza, who founded the Peter Thiel-backed sporting event, in a conversation with Business Insider.

"Like every big sporting event, you need paramedics there, you need a medical apparatus, and that's certainly going to be part of the system," D'Souza added.

The controversial sporting event, which organizers say could be held for the first time next year, is pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable in athletics.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has described it as "a dangerous and irresponsible concept" which could put the lives of athletes at risk, Reuters reported.

But organizers have repeatedly hit back, insisting that it represents something new and innovative.

Contrary to the World Anti-Doping Agency rules, the Enhanced Games will embrace the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

D'Souza told BI that any FDA-approved compounds administered under clinical supervision will be allowed at the Games.

In addition, drug testing and disclosures will not be mandatory, which D'Souza said is because the underlying philosophy of the Games is "my body, my choice, your body, your choice."

This means that in practice any drug could be used, with little chance of athletes being found out.

D'Souza refused to provide a definitive answer to BI when asked if an athlete would be disqualified if it became known they were taking Schedule I drugs, like heroin, or Schedule II drugs like cocaine or meth.

In the event of adverse reactions to drugs or overdoses, he said there will be support staff prepared to step in.

"We'll be adopting clinical best practice," D'Souza said.

He compared it to an NFL game, where medical professionals are on standby for medical emergencies: "There are world-class paramedics, physicians, etc. there on the sidelines, prepared for all of these situations," he said of a setup he plans to emulate.

Athletes will also be offered comprehensive health assessments, including blood works, echocardiograms, and "possibly MRIs," to ensure they are healthy enough to compete, D'Souza added.

Concern over the message sent to the next generation of athletes

Despite attempts to lower the risks, experts are concerned that the Enhanced Games send a potentially dangerous message to athletes and viewers.

Sue Backhouse, an expert in sporting integrity and welfare at the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University, said that the whole concept of the Enhanced Games raises concerns.

"The Enhanced Games promote themselves as the 'Olympics of the future' and state that they will 'pay athletes fairly,'" she told BI.

"Whilst I agree that athletes deserve to be paid fairly, the idea that they must ingest harmful prohibited substances to address the financial wrongs of sport is absurd," she said.

Backhouse also disagreed with D'Souza's previous claim that 44% of athletes already use performance enhancements.