World Anti-Doping Agency President Is Not Jazzed About Upcoming Enhanced Games

The Enhanced Games — the PED-fueled bastard child of the Olympics — is slated to take place in Las Vegas next year, but that's only if the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA, gets its way.

WADA boss Witold Banka gave some comments on the upcoming event during the annual Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) meeting, which is a meeting of governing bodies for Summer Olympic sports.

I'll tell you right up front that Banka is not a fan of the Enhanced Games.

"We will urge the US authorities to find legal ways to block this initiative," the WADA boss said, per the Associated Press.

You can see why Banka wouldn't be booking tickets to Sin City to watch juiced-up swimmers, runners, and weightlifters crush world records. When you're job is to keep sports free of doping — and we can debate how well that has been done over the years — you're probably not going to be pumped about people putting together a dope fest.

"This initiative seeks to normalize the use of potentially dangerous drugs," Banka said. "For the sake of athlete health and the purity of sport, of course, it must be stopped."

President of the World Anti-Doping Agency Witold Banka had some harsh words for the upcoming Enhanced Games in which doping is encouraged. (Photo by Irek DOROZANSKI / AFP) (Photo by IREK DOROZANSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Banka also said that there may be ways to block the games on legal grounds in the US or Nevada, and he pointed to doctors administering the drugs that athletes will use if the games are held.

"This is something that has to be explored from the legal perspective," he said. "I cannot imagine, for instance, doctors giving the drugs to the athletes. It is completely against the values of their work."

You can understand Banka's concern. The Enhanced Games would undermine their work a little bit. However, World Aquatics has already announced that any athletes who compete at the Enhanced Games will be banned from participating in sanctioned competitions — as an athlete, coach, official, etc. — for life.

It's probably safe to say that other governing bodies will follow suit.

Now that WADA has announced that it wants to pressure US and Nevada state officials to keep the Enhanced Games from happening, it'll be an interesting few months to see who comes out on top in this legal fight.