Ben Proud becomes first Briton to join Enhanced Games

Ben Proud, the British sprint swimmer and 2024 Olympic silver medallist, has become the first UK athlete to sign for the Enhanced Games, an event that permits the supervised use of performance‑enhancing substances that are banned under current anti‑doping rules.

Proud, 30, said he would not intentionally undermine "clean" sport and described the Enhanced Games as a separate entity from traditional competition that offers him a new opportunity late in his career. "Speaking for myself, I think realistically I've achieved everything I can, and now the Enhanced [Games] is giving me a new opportunity," he told BBC Sport. "I definitely don't think that's undermining a clean sport."

Proud is a former world and European champion in the 50m freestyle and won Olympic silver in Paris in 2024. He said the Enhanced Games appealed because it offers a different format and financial incentives, and because he is curious about what could be achieved under the new rules. Organisers have said the event will allow only substances approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, under medical supervision, rather than following the World Anti‑Doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited list.

The Enhanced Games concept, launched in 2023, has drawn sharp criticism from anti‑doping authorities and parts of the sporting community. WADA described it as a "dangerous and irresponsible project," and Travis Tygart, chief executive of the US Anti‑Doping Agency, has called it a "clown show." Organisers say participation will be medically supervised and limited to FDA‑approved substances, and that athlete safety will be managed by health professionals.

Proud said organisers "aren't asking me to take anything" and that he is undecided on whether he would use any substances, adding: "If you ask me in six months' time, I'll probably have a bit more of an answer." He also emphasised his frustration with doping within traditional sport, saying he has "no time for" athletes who break rules and noting the extensive time athletes spend making themselves available for testing.

Anti‑doping administrators point to testing figures to underline the scale of the challenge. WADA's 2022 report recorded 241,143 samples, of which 1,979 (0.82%) were reported as adverse findings and 1,376 (69.5% of those) resulted in Anti‑Doping Rule Violations.

The Enhanced Games plan an inaugural event in Las Vegas from May 21–24, 2026, featuring short‑distance swimming, sprinting and weightlifting. The competition also offers appearance fees and bonuses. Organisers awarded Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev a $1m prize after he swam a 50m time trial of 20.89 seconds in the United States in February; that time, they said, was 0.02 seconds faster than the world record set by Brazil's Cesar Cielo in 2009, but World Aquatics will not recognise it.

Proud said seeing someone post such a time had influenced his perspective. "Seeing someone break the world record really changed my perspective," he said. "Suddenly there's another format and the fastest man in the water is no longer in the traditional format. It made me think about myself, my life, my career, and what it is that I really want out of this."

The decision has prompted mixed reaction within the British swimming community. Proud has previously supported UK Anti‑Doping's Clean Sport Week, while prominent teammates such as Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott have been outspoken against doping. Proud said he had spoken to "one or two" former team‑mates and received largely positive feedback from people who know him well.

Proud's move highlights a broader debate about how sport should balance athlete autonomy, safety and fair competition. Supporters of the Enhanced Games argue it could offer scientific and medical advances under supervision and freedom for athletes who choose an alternative model. Critics argue it risks normalising practices that anti‑doping systems seek to eradicate and could endanger athletes' health and the integrity of comparative records.

BBC Sport said it had asked WADA for comment on Proud's decision. The Enhanced Games organisers maintain the event will be medically supervised and limited to FDA‑approved substances, while mainstream sports bodies say they will continue to enforce current anti‑doping rules and not recognise results achieved under the Enhanced Games model.

Proud said he views the Enhanced Games as "a very interesting dynamic to learn about these things" and that he is "coming into this very new". He added that the event comes at a time when he feels "the most content with my career that I've ever been" and that he is "ready to step away" from traditional competition if this alternative proves right for him.