The startup Olympic-style sports festival filed an $800 million antitrust lawsuit against its detractors Wednesday for what it claims is an illegal campaign to make athletes boycott its event.
The Enhanced Games filed the lawsuit in federal court in New York, naming World Aquatics, USA Swimming and the World Anti-Doping Agency as defendants. It seeks damages and injunctive relief to stop what it says is the defendants’ illegal campaign.
The lawsuit keys on a earlier this year that threatens to banish athletes who compete in “sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices that may include prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods.”
In an interview with The Associated Press, Enhanced Games President Aron D’Souza insisted the lawsuit was not a publicity stunt, but rather an attempt to remedy “the real damage that’s being done” to swimmers and other athletes who are dissuaded from competing.
Thus far, the Enhanced Games have signed five athletes to compete in an event in Las Vegas next May set to feature track, swimming and weightlifting competitions offering $500,000 first prizes.
D’Souza — who helped steer billionaire Peter Thiel to bankroll against Gawker that resulted in a $140 million verdict — says “natural” athletes who compete at, say, world championships and Olympics are also welcome to test themselves at the Enhanced Games, and he presumes the prize money would be tempting.
“But until this issue is resolved, it’s causing irreparable harm to our ability to sign athletes,” he said. “Athletes who are both ‘natural’ and ‘enhanced’ can compete at the games. That’s part of the narrative that makes this interesting. Can a ‘natural’ athlete beat an ‘enhanced’ athlete?”
The Enhanced Games portray themselves as a league designed to push the limits of human ability while using science to monitor athletes’ intake without punishing them for taking drugs that are banned under the world anti-doping code.
None of the defendants immediately returned messages left by The Associated Press seeking comment. WADA has criticized the idea first touted in 2023 as dangerous and irresponsible.
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