Ben Proud talks about joining the Enhanced Games
ByBen CollinsBBC Sport journalist and Patrick GeareyBBC Sport senior journalist reporter
Olympic swimmer Ben Proud has change into the key British athlete to be a part of the controversial Enhanced Games – however insists what he’s doing is no longer undermining ‘orderly’ sport.
Proud, 30, is a world and European champion at 50m freestyle, and gained silver at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
But he has now committed to an occasion that allows athletes to purchase banned performance-enhancing medication. By taking segment he’ll be barred from world opponents.
Proud never gained Olympic gold or broke the 50m freestyle world file, which has stood since 2009, however feels the Enhanced Games “give me a brand fresh opportunity to continue this pursuit and discover about how some distance I will purchase things”.
Requested if he thinks the occasion undermines orderly sport, Proud told BBC Sport: “No. I catch it opens up the skill avenue to excel in an extraordinarily various technique.
“I catch realistically I’ve achieved the entirety I will, and now the Enhanced [Games] is giving me a brand fresh opportunity. I undoubtedly invent no longer catch that is undermining a orderly sport.
“I in actuality respect the game I’ve been segment of, and I’d never step encourage in inspiring I’ve done something which is no longer within the suggestions.”
In a assertion on social media,, external Aquatics GB acknowledged: “Aquatics GB is immensely upset in Ben Proud’s announcement to imprint with the Enhanced Games.
“Aquatics GB, alongside with our partners, stand firmly unhurried the values and suggestions of orderly sport and condemns Ben’s decision within the strongest phrases.”
UK Sport acknowledged it is some distance working with Aquatics GB “as a subject of urgency to discover Ben Proud’s suitability to receive public funds” and that any breach of anti-doping suggestions contravenes policies athletes have to discover to receive UK Sport funding.
UK Sport added it “condemns the entirety the Enhanced Games stands for within the strongest which that you may perhaps perhaps imagine phrases” and is “extremely upset” that any British athletes in its programmes would give a plot shut to such an occasion.
Earlier this year, World Aquatics grew to vary into the key world sport federation to ban athletes, coaches and officials from its events if they’ve taken segment within the Enhanced Games.
Proud has beforehand supported UK Anti-Doping’s (Ukad) Clear Sport Week whereas British team-mates Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott were outspoken against doping.
Proud acknowledged he sees ‘aged sport’ and the Enhanced Games as “two very separate entities”, and that he found athletes breaking the suggestions “extremely frustrating”.
“I discover about doping in orderly sports as a total no-tear,” he acknowledged. “I invent no longer own any time for that.
“The truth or no longer it is gentle occurring is a predicament. It will continuously be a cat and mouse recreation, there will continuously be of us rising fresh ways or of us getting away with things.
“That’s one thing that has ruined sport for a bunch of of us. The anti-doping agencies honest invent no longer own the capacity to totally make sure everyone looks to be orderly and on a degree playing field, and that to me has continuously been the greatest frustration.
“Must you had been segment of my lifestyles for the previous 12, thirteen years, you would discover about how grand time or no longer it is obligatory to allocate to making sure we’re readily available to be tested on a day to day basis, making sure we’re continuously giving our samples.”
Ukad chief govt Jane Rumble acknowledged: “It is extremely disappointing that any British athlete would take into fable competing in an occasion that flies within the face of the honest spirit of sport.
“It is an project that diminishes, in build of ‘enhances’, all those fervent.”
A British Olympic Affiliation spokesperson acknowledged: “In upholding the values of orderly sport we remain vehemently adversarial to what we judge to be a cynical and unhealthy occasion.”
When asked for comment, the World Anti-Doping Company (Wada) referred BBC Sport to its old assertion on the Enhanced Games, condemning it as a “a unhealthy and irresponsible conception”.
Wada’s most up-to-date Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) fable, external used to be published in July, retaining 2022. It acknowledged that from 241,143 samples, 1,979 (0.eighty two%) had been reported to be adversarial findings, of which 1,376 (sixty 9.5%) resulted in an ADRV.
What are the Enhanced Games?
The Enhanced Games had been launched as a conception in 2023, with some doping measures accredited below clinical supervision.
Most advantageous substances accepted by the United States’ Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) may perhaps well perhaps be taken, which is various to the checklist Wada allows for elite athletes.
The occasion has been criticised for endangering athletes’ health and undermining sparkling play, with Wada describing it as a “unhealthy and irresponsible project”, external and Travis Tygart, chief govt of the US Anti-Doping Company, calling it a “clown repeat”., external
“Now we own access to a pair of the supreme experts available to make sure that the entirety shall be an instructed decision,” Proud acknowledged.
“The entire lot is FDA accepted. The entire lot’s readily readily available to the frequent public. Or no longer it is done below very strict supervision from clinical doctors and health care professionals, and I may perhaps perhaps now not ever purchase something that I’m unsure of.
“They are no longer allowing anybody to purchase part if they are below any stress or health dangers.”
Proud also acknowledged that organisers “don’t appear to be asking me to purchase something” and he’s unsure for the time being what substances he would use.
“Must you quiz me in six months’ time, I’m going to potentially own some distance more of an acknowledge,” he acknowledged. “I’m coming into this very fresh, I invent no longer know any professionals and cons about something that shall be readily available.
“All I do know is that or no longer it shall be an extraordinarily attention-grabbing dynamic to discover about these things, things which own no longer been readily available to us for a prolonged time.
“I’m very weird as to what’s going to be done to of course feel higher in sure aspects of the bustle or practising. I own the following three, four months to examine out what it is some distance. After that, finally, I own the choice to direct I are looking out to purchase it or no longer.”
The Enhanced Games are deliberate to be an annual opponents, before the entirety comprising short-distance swimming, sprinting and weightlifting, with the inaugural occasion living to be held in Las Vegas from 21-24 Might furthermore honest 2026.
Why is Proud joining?
Proud accomplished the living for 50m freestyle at this year’s World Aquatics Championships, winning his first silver medal after one world gold and three bronze
The Enhanced Games supplies look costs and bonuses, with Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev receiving a prize of $1m (£739,000) for beating a world file time within the US in February.
Organisers acknowledged he swam 20.89 seconds in a 50m freestyle time trial, 0.02 seconds quicker than the sphere file living by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo in December 2009, even though the time is potentially no longer recognised by World Aquatics.
“Seeing someone spoil the sphere file in actuality modified my viewpoint,” acknowledged Proud. ” there may perhaps be every other structure and the fastest man within the water is no longer any longer within the aged structure.
“It made me judge myself, my lifestyles, my occupation, and what it is some distance that I in actuality establish on out of this.
“I secure it in actuality attention-grabbing to survey what I will develop with this fresh structure, and I in actuality feel care for I’m the exact individual at this closing date to of course bring a true product for this.”
After winning his first Olympic medal final year and silver at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore final month, Proud felt “the most content with my occupation that I’ve ever been”.
The 2022 world champion added that he has spoken to “one or two” of his broken-down team-mates about his fresh venture.
“All I’ve had is apparent suggestions,” Proud acknowledged. “You talk about to of us within the swimming team and it does include some questions, care for ‘are you sure this is true?’
“But the of us who I’ve told know me effectively enough to grab that this is the exact opportunity I own.
“Or no longer it is something that I catch I will excel at, and or no longer it is coming at a time in my occupation the build I’m happy, I’m cosy. I’m ready to step away.”