Peter Thiel’s Investment in Doping-Friendly Sports Competition Sparks Major Debate
Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, has recently made headlines for his significant investment in a sports competition that openly embraces the use of performance-enhancing drugs. This move has sparked a major debate on the potential risks to athletes’ health and the integrity of the sport.
The competition in question is called the Enhanced Games, which bills itself as the “Olympics of the future.” Unlike traditional sporting events, the Enhanced Games will not conduct drug tests, citing their embrace of science in sports and their commitment to being the “safest international sporting event in history.”
Thiel is not the only high-profile investor involved in the Enhanced Games. Balaji Srinivasan, a cryptocurrency investor, and Christian Angermayer, a biotech investor, are also backing the competition. The games will focus on individual sports, with events in five core categories: athletics, aquatics, combat, gymnastics, and strength.
One of the main selling points of the Enhanced Games is its aim to be the most inclusive sports league in history. The competition welcomes all adults to compete, regardless of their natural, adaptive, or enhanced status. The registration for the games is set to open in late 2024, with the precise dates yet to be announced.
However, the Enhanced Games’ stance on doping directly contradicts the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) position. In August, WADA’s panel concluded that marijuana use by athletes violates the “spirit of sport” and decided to keep it on the prohibited list. This decision was made after reviewing evidence on marijuana use by athletes.
Thiel’s investment in the Enhanced Games comes on the heels of a series of controversial doping incidents in international sports. In February 2022, American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was banned from the Olympics after testing positive for cannabis, while Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was allowed to compete despite a similar offense. This sparked a debate about double standards and racism in doping sanctions.
It’s worth noting that Valieva was later banned in January 2024 from competing internationally for four years for anti-doping violations at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The debate surrounding Thiel’s investment in the Enhanced Games raises important questions about the responsibility of sports organizations in ensuring fair play and protecting athletes’ health. While some argue that embracing performance-enhancing drugs could push the boundaries of human performance and lead to groundbreaking achievements, others express concerns about the potential dangers and ethical implications of such a move.
As the Enhanced Games prepare to open registration later this year, the sports world will be closely watching the outcomes and consequences of this controversial experiment. It remains to be seen whether the competition will gain traction and become a legitimate alternative to traditional sporting events or if it will face significant backlash and scrutiny from the international sports community.
In the end, the debate sparked by Thiel’s investment highlights the ongoing tension between innovation, ethics, and the pursuit of sporting excellence. It serves as a reminder that the decisions made in the realm of sports have far-reaching implications and require careful consideration of the values and principles that underpin the integrity of the sport.
