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Blake, Wm. The First Book of Urizen, plate 14, object 7. 1796.

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The Enhanced Games, known as the “Olympics on drugs,” has received significant financial backing from investors, including PayPal billionaire Peter Thiel. The first competition is set for December.

Athletes in these games can use any drugs, with events spanning athletics, aquatics, gymnastics, strength, and combat. The creator, British businessman Aron D’Souza, believes this will break records and attract new fans, saying some athletes have already expressed interest. Critics, including athletes and anti-doping agencies, condemn the idea as dangerous.

D’Souza: “This is the route towards eternal life. And what is performance medicine about? It’s not about steroids and getting jacked muscles. It’s about being a better, stronger, faster, younger athlete for longer. And who doesn’t want to be younger for longer.”

“I want to see a 40, 50, 60-year-old break world records. Wouldn’t that be amazing? And as soon as we break the 100m world record, the mile world record, who’s going to want to watch the old, slow Olympics? Is NBC going to pay billions of dollars to broadcast a slow sporting event? Are cities going to invest billions of dollars to host a slow sporting event? They’re not going to,” he added.