Former Team GB swimmer Ben Proud has defended his decision to compete in the Enhanced Games, rejecting claims that his participation encourages young athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs.
The 31-year-old athlete receives a mid six-figure salary for the controversial event and could earn an additional $1.25 million if he breaks the 50m freestyle world record on Sunday night.
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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has condemned the event, arguing it may entice more individuals to dope. Proud addressed this directly during a pre-event press conference.
“There is a blurry line. I can’t argue against it.
But to me, if you understand the stories of the people who are here, you’ll understand that we’ve done our career clean and we’re doing this for a very good reason.
And more importantly, under the safest environment possible,” he said.
The event has faced widespread condemnation from international athletic bodies and anti-doping organizations, but the Paris 2024 50m freestyle silver medallist remains confident in his choice.
“I’m not worried about my reputation.
I knew stepping over to the Enhanced Games was going to change a lot about my image and what people think about me.
But if you understand me and my career, the 10 years that I had were all clean. That is in the past.
And what I do now is a very different Ben Proud,” he stated.
Performance Enhancements and Safety
Proud acknowledged that using performance-enhancing substances and polyurethane skinsuits, both banned in traditional competitions, allows him and Greek competitor Kristian Gkolomeev to achieve unprecedented speeds.
