World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President Witold Bańka has urged U.S. authorities to intervene and stop the inaugural Enhanced Games—an unsanctioned sporting event that permits the use of performance-enhancing drugs—scheduled to take place in Las Vegas in 2026.
Speaking in Lausanne at a gathering of summer Olympic officials, Bańka condemned the Enhanced Games as a “cynical” threat to athlete safety and fair competition.
“This event must be stopped,” Bańka said. “We must all stand up and condemn those who put greed and ego ahead of athletes’ well-being and the principles of clean sport.”
With the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles on the horizon, Bańka stressed the importance of defending sport’s integrity on U.S. soil.
“We cannot allow a global celebration of honest athletic achievement to be tainted by a dangerous spectacle that openly encourages doping,” he added. “WADA is now urging U.S. authorities to explore all legal avenues to prevent this event from going ahead.”
In comments made after his speech, Bańka questioned the legality of medically administering banned substances to healthy athletes, suggesting that such practices may violate ethical standards and professional licensing laws.
“This completely contradicts the responsibilities of licensed medical professionals,” he said. “U.S. authorities, including the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), should play a key role in preventing this.”
Tensions between WADA and USADA have run high in recent years, especially following WADA’s handling of 23 positive drug tests involving Chinese swimmers in 2021.
Responding to Banka’s remarks, USADA CEO Travis Tygart accused the WADA president of using the Enhanced Games issue as a diversion.
“Witold Banka is trying to leverage this sideshow to distract from WADA’s own failures and to stir up anti-American sentiment,” Tygart said in a statement to AFP. “As we’ve said before, the Enhanced Games are clearly a bad idea, but WADA’s real priority should be reforming itself.”
Tygart also reiterated his invitation for Bańka to testify before the U.S. Senate next week regarding WADA’s handling of the Chinese swimmers’ case.
The first edition of the Enhanced Games is set for May 2026 in Las Vegas and will feature athletes competing in athletics, swimming, and weightlifting. The event will allow competitors to use banned substances such as anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. Winners are promised $250,000 per event, with a $1 million bonus for breaking world records.
