Proud Becomes First Briton To Join Enhanced Games

Olympic swimmer Ben Proud has go nan first British jock to subordinate nan arguable Enhanced Games - but says he would ne'er do thing to undermine 'clean' sport.

Proud, 30, is simply a world and European champion astatine 50m freestyle, and won metallic astatine nan 2024 Olympics successful Paris.

But he has now committed to an arena which allows athletes to return banned performance-enhancing drugs.

He ne'er won Olympic golden aliases collapsed nan 50m freestyle world record, which has stood since 2009, but feels that nan Enhances Games "give maine a caller opportunity to proceed this pursuit and spot really acold I tin return things".

Asked if he thinks nan arena undermines cleanable sport, Proud told BBC Sport: "No. I deliberation it opens up nan imaginable avenue to excel successful a very different way.

"Speaking for myself, I deliberation realistically I've achieved everything I can, and now nan Enhanced [Games] is giving maine a caller opportunity. I decidedly don't deliberation that's undermining a cleanable sport.

"I really respect nan athletics I've been portion of, and I would ne'er measurement backmost successful knowing I've done thing which isn't successful nan rules."

Proud has antecedently supported UK Anti-Doping's Clean Sport Week while British team-mates Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott person been outspoken against doping.

Proud said he sees 'traditional sport' and nan Enhanced Games arsenic "two very abstracted entities", and that he recovered athletes breaking nan rules "incredibly frustrating".

"I spot doping successful cleanable sports arsenic a complete no-go," he said. "I don't person immoderate clip for that.

"The truth it's still happening is simply a problem. It'll ever beryllium a feline and rodent game, location will ever beryllium group processing caller techniques aliases group getting distant pinch things.

"That's 1 point that has ruined athletics for a batch of people. The anti-doping agencies conscionable don't person nan expertise to wholly make judge everyone is cleanable and connected a level playing field, and that to maine has ever been nan biggest frustration.

"If you were portion of my life for nan past 12, 13 years, you'd spot really overmuch clip you person to allocate to making judge we're disposable to beryllium tested connected a regular basis, making judge we're perpetually giving our samples."

BBC Sport has asked nan World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) for comment.

Wada's latest Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) report, external was published successful July, covering 2022. It said that from 241,143 samples, 1,979 (0.82%) were reported to beryllium adverse findings, of which 1,376 (69.5%) resulted successful an ADRV.

The Enhanced Games were launched arsenic a conception successful 2023, pinch immoderate doping measures permitted nether aesculapian supervision.

Only substances approved by nan United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tin beryllium taken, which is different to nan database Wada allows for elite athletes.

The arena has been criticised for endangering athletes' wellness and undermining adjacent play, pinch Wada describing it arsenic a "dangerous and irresponsible project", external and Travis Tygart, main executive of nan US Anti-Doping Agency, calling it a "clown show"., external

"We person entree to immoderate of nan top specialists retired location to make judge that everything will beryllium an informed decision," Proud said.

"Everything is FDA approved. Everything's readily disposable to nan wide public. It's done nether very strict supervision from doctors and wellness attraction professionals, and I will ne'er return thing that I americium unsure of.

"They are not allowing anyone to participate if they are nether immoderate accent aliases wellness risks."

Proud besides said that organisers "aren't asking maine to return anything" and he is unsure astatine nan infinitesimal what substances he would use.

"If you inquire maine successful six months' time, I'll astir apt person a spot much of an answer," he said. "I'm coming into this very new, I don't cognize immoderate pros and cons astir thing that could beryllium available.

"All I cognize is that it's going to beryllium a very absorbing move to study astir these things, things that person not been disposable to america for a agelong time.

"I'm very funny arsenic to what could beryllium done to consciousness amended successful definite aspects of nan title aliases training. I person nan adjacent three, 4 months to fig retired what it is. After that, ultimately, I person nan determination to opportunity I want to return it aliases not."

The Enhanced Games are planned to beryllium an yearly competition, initially comprising short-distance swimming, sprinting and weightlifting, pinch nan inaugural arena group to beryllium held successful Las Vegas from 21-24 May 2026.

The Enhanced Games offers quality fees and bonuses, pinch Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev receiving a prize of $1m (£739,000) for beating a world grounds clip successful nan US successful February.

Organisers said he swam 20.89 seconds successful a 50m freestyle clip trial, 0.02 seconds quicker than nan world grounds group by Brazil's Cesar Cielo successful December 2009, though nan clip will not beryllium recognised by World Aquatics.

"Seeing personification break nan world grounds really changed my perspective," said Proud. "Suddenly there's different format and nan fastest man successful nan h2o is nary longer successful nan accepted format.

"It made maine deliberation astir myself, my life, my career, and what it is that I really want retired of this.

"I find it really absorbing to spot what I tin do pinch this caller format, and I consciousness for illustration I'm nan champion personification astatine this constituent successful clip to really present a bully merchandise for this."

After winning his first Olympic badge past twelvemonth and silver astatine nan World Aquatics Championships successful Singapore past month, Proud felt "the astir contented pinch my profession that I've ever been".

The 2022 world champion added that he has spoken to "one aliases two" of his erstwhile team-mates astir his caller venture.

"All I've had is affirmative feedback," Proud said. "You talk to group successful nan swimming organization and it does travel pinch immoderate questions, for illustration 'are you judge this is right?'

"But nan group who I've told cognize maine good capable to cognize that this is nan champion opportunity I have.

"It's thing that I deliberation I tin excel at, and it's coming astatine a clip successful my profession wherever I'm satisfied, I'm happy. I'm fresh to measurement away."