A two-time Olympic gold medalist is preparing to take part in one of the year’s most disputed sports events in Las Vegas — and says he’ll do it without using any performance-enhancing drugs.
Hunter Armstrong, 25 — known as ‘The Magic Man’ — is set to race at the Enhanced Games, a competition that permits athletes to use banned substances, though it does not require them.
The first edition of the event is scheduled to begin on May 24 at a custom-built venue inside Resorts World Las Vegas.
Armstrong told ESPN that choosing to enter as a non-enhanced athlete didn’t feel like a choice at all. After a key sponsor relationship ended following the Paris Olympics, he said he struggled financially and even weighed up walking away from the sport.
“If I don’t join Enhanced, I lose everything. If I do join Enhanced, I have a chance at not losing everything,” he said.
“My back was against the wall, so I had to reopen that conversation to see if it was a plausible option.”
Big money is a central part of the Enhanced Games pitch. Organizers are advertising bonuses up to $1 million for breaking the world record in the 50m freestyle. Each event is listed with a $500,000 purse, including $250,000 for first place. For an athlete who says he couldn’t cover basic costs months earlier, the offer was difficult to ignore.
The Enhanced Games divides competitors into three categories. “Clinical trial athletes” receive medical oversight and PED protocols from the organizers. “Independently enhanced athletes” control and source their own programmes. “Natural athletes” compete without performance-enhancing substances entirely — which is the bracket Armstrong says he’s entering.
He’s expected to be one of only four natural entrants. The swim roster also features Olympic medalists Ben Proud, James Magnussen and Cody Miller, plus 50m butterfly world record holder Andrii Govorov. Most, however, are expected to compete with whatever enhancement support their chosen pathway provides.
Armstrong’s credentials are significant. He won Olympic gold in the 4x100m medley at Tokyo and then added another gold in the 4x100m freestyle in Paris. He has also held the world record in the 50m backstroke.
But his longer-term ambitions add another layer to the decision: he is still targeting qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
That’s where the risk comes in. World Aquatics updated its bylaws last year to bar athletes from the sport if they compete in the Enhanced Games.
World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam spelled out the organization’s stance: “Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events.”
Under the rule, anyone who “support, endorse, or participate in sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices that may include prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods” could be banned.
Armstrong has said he tried to get a clear answer about what would happen if he signed up, but couldn’t secure certainty.
“Nobody really knows what’s going to happen, and nobody will give me an answer on what’s going to happen,” he said. “So all I can work off of is what the rules say and take a chance because I won’t get an answer by waiting.”
After seeking legal advice, Armstrong said he believed any punishment would only be triggered if he stopped complying with World Aquatics rules — including drug-testing requirements — at some point before the meet. Whether the governing body interprets the policy the same way is still unclear.
Separate from eligibility questions, the potential health consequences of competing while enhanced have also been widely debated.
Amir Bhogal, Superintendent Lead Pharmacist and Director of Pyramid Pharmacy Group, said the most serious impacts aren’t always obvious from the outside.
He said: “One of the biggest concerns with steroid use is the amount of strain it can place on the cardiovascular system. A lot of people associate health risk with visible symptoms, but in reality, someone can look incredibly fit externally while their blood pressure is quietly climbing in the background or their heart is working much harder than it should be.”
Bhogal also warned about what can happen after the competition ends. “When external testosterone or anabolic agents are introduced, the body can reduce or completely suppress its own natural hormone production,” he explained, adding that athletes may experience fatigue, low mood, reduced libido, sleep problems, muscle loss and difficulty recovering once the event is finished.
His larger concern, he said, is the knock-on effect on everyday viewers. “The elite athletes involved may have access to doctors, testing and monitoring, but the wider public often does not,” he said.
“That creates the risk of people attempting to imitate what they see without understanding the potential consequences.”
The Enhanced Games is backed by a funding group that includes PayPal founder Peter Thiel, biotech entrepreneur Christian Angermayer, and 1789 Capital — led by Donald Trump Jr.
Only one day of the competition will be available to stream online.
According to the event’s website: “The inaugural Enhanced Games emanate live from Las Vegas on Sunday, May 24, signaling a new era of sport on Memorial Day Weekend 2026.
“The one-night spectacle kicks off with the Opening Events at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT on YouTube, Rumble, Twitch and Kick, as weightlifting and swimming athletes target new heights and world records across Snatch, Clean & Jerk and select men’s swim races.”
The Games will also stream on Roku Channel, with coverage beginning at starting at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT.