Olympic silver medallist Ben Proud defends decision to join doping-permissive Enhanced Games

Olympic silver medallist Ben Proud has become the first British athlete to join the Enhanced Games, a breakaway sporting event that allows competitors to take performance-enhancing drugs.

The 30-year-old swimmer, who won silver in the 50m freestyle for Great Britain at the Paris Games last summer, confirmed his decision in an interview with BBC Sport. Proud argued that the new competition did not undermine clean sport, but rather offered an alternative for athletes seeking fresh challenges.

“Realistically, I’ve achieved everything I can, and now the Enhanced is giving me a new opportunity,” he said. “I definitely don’t think that’s undermining a clean sport. I really respect the sport I’ve been part of and I would never step back in knowing I’ve done something which isn’t in the rules.”

The Enhanced Games, due to launch in Las Vegas in May 2026, positions itself as an alternative to the Olympics by lifting restrictions on substances approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Organisers claim that safety protocols will protect participants, with athletes monitored to ensure they are not competing under undue health risks.

Proud suggested that his frustrations with doping scandals in conventional swimming had influenced his decision. “I found competitors committing violations incredibly frustrating,” he explained. “I will never take anything that I am unsure of. They are not allowing anyone to participate if they are under any stress or health risks.”

However, his announcement has provoked widespread condemnation from British sporting authorities.

UK Sport said in a statement: “UK Sport condemns everything the Enhanced Games stands for in the strongest possible terms. We believe it risks compromising athlete health and welfare, undermines the trust of fans and is the absolute antithesis to our philosophy of winning well. We are incredibly disappointed to learn that any British athlete in one of our Olympic or Paralympic programmes would support such an event.”

The body confirmed it was engaging with Aquatics GB “as a matter of urgency” to review Proud’s position and determine his continued eligibility for public funding. “It is clear, however, that any breach of anti-doping rules is contrary to the policies any athlete must comply with to receive UK Sport funding,” the statement added.

Aquatics GB issued its own strongly worded response: “We are immensely disappointed in Ben Proud’s announcement to sign with the Enhanced Games. Aquatics GB, along with our partners, stand firmly behind the values and principles of clean sport and condemn Ben’s decision in the strongest terms.”

The Enhanced Games has already been billed as one of the most controversial sporting experiments in decades. Supporters say it will showcase the true physical limits of human performance, while critics warn it risks creating a dangerous spectacle that could normalise drug use in sport.

Proud’s decision to join has thrown fresh attention on the event, especially given his standing as one of Britain’s most successful sprinters in the pool. He has won multiple World and European medals during his career and was seen as one of the senior figures in British swimming after his Paris success.

Whether his participation inspires others to follow remains to be seen, but his choice has already sparked fierce debate over the future of elite competition, the definition of “clean” achievement, and the moral boundaries of performance