Welcome to our PED Talk: Sean Ingle Reflects on The Enhanced Games

Become a member of our Enhanced Real Science of Sport community by becoming a member to get access to exclusive shows, ad-free content and our world class discussion forums. A monthly pledge is all it takes and you'll unlock all those benefits

Show notes

The Enhanced Games came and went in Las Vegas, amidst much hype, a host of personal bests but only a single world record. Was the event a success, and a taste of what is to come, or a spectacular flop? What do we make of allegedly clean athletes beating dopers, and dopers failing to challenge world records, often by large margins? As the sports world figures out what to make of it, Sean Ingle, chief sports reporter and columnist for The Guardian, joins us fresh from attending the event to share his experiences, thoughts and unfiltered verdicts.

Sean went in expecting grifters, but discovered something a little more complicated. He spoke to true believers of the "human enhancement" movement, billionaire backers, and athletes who made business decisions that may become increasingly difficult for other sports to ignore. Sean relates those conversations and his impressions of what they imply for the future of sport.

We ask the harder questions too. Will the Enhanced Games grow or stall? What are the risks if the business model that uses athletes to promote drugs for anti-aging purposes succeeds? And what lessons must traditional sport take from an event where athletes averaged $166,000 in a single night, and where the phone of at least one Olympic swim coach hasn't stopped ringing since?

Sean has placed his own sportsman's bet with one of the funders, Christian Angermeyer, that the Enhanced Games won't survive past 2031. He explains why he believes this, despite factors that suggest that "enhancement" is here to stay, and why he'd still rather be wrong than just ignore it.

Links

Some of Sean's articles on The Enhanced Games

• Why he believes The Enhanced Games will fail by 2031
• The questions Sean wrote will need answering prior to his visit to Vegas
• Initial reactions from Vegas on the night of the Games
• The Enhanced Games reject the timing controversy as "drivel"

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.