Athletes, investors embrace doping for profit

PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING drugs destroy the bodies, minds and reputations of athletes. Nonetheless, a group of investors, including Peter Thiel and Donald Trump jr, see a business opportunity. They recently announced the first edition of the Enhanced Games a kind of doping Olympics in which athletes are allowed and even encouraged to take performance-enhancing drugs - will be held in Las Vegas next May.

- ADAM MINTER

It's a perverse concept, but that hasn't stopped four Olympians from already signing on. Other athletes will likely follow, lured by millions of dollars in prize money and appearance fees.

The actual Olympics have nothing to do with this, but the world's most popular sporting event isn't blameless. Its business model, under which athletes are paid little if anything - creates the opportunity for something as warped as a sporting event that encourages doping to emerge.

Consider the dilemma faced by Kristian Gkolomeev, an accomplished 31-year-old swimmer who has competed in the last four Summer Olympics for Greece. By his own admission, it hasn't exactly been a financially lucrative existence.

In 2016, for example, the Greek government supported some of its top Olympians with stipends of less than $1 000 a month. Then and now medal winners receive lucrative bonuses, but Gkolomeev like most Olympians - has never won one.

Enter the Enhanced Games.

Last year, in hopes of drumming up interest in the event, organisers offered a $1 million (R1.7bn) bounty for breaking the men's 100m freestyle swim. Gkolomeev signed up, juiced himself, and sure enough, “broke” - a term that should be used loosely when it involves steroid usage the record in February.

In late May, at the Enhanced Games announcement, he was unapologetic when he told reporters: "A successful year at the Enhanced Games for me is more than I could make in 10 careers."