Enhanced Games: The Human Pursuit Of The ‘Super’

Humans are obsessed with the ‘super’. 

We immortalise classical heroes and idolise their modern successors. The enduring popularity of ancient tales and the current fixation with superheroes is a testament to this obsession.

As a species we are fascinated by those that transcend the limits of what mere mortals can accomplish. Whether that’s Hercules overcoming the 12 Labours or Superman defending Metropolis, the ‘super’ captivates us like little else. 

However, humankind is not content to leave these feats to the imagination. We strive to constantly improve ourselves, always grasping towards the goal of surpassing mortal constraints.

The relentless march of technological progress has revolutionised the human experience. Weaponry, telecommunications, artificial intelligence - the list goes on. 

Medical advances have completely transformed traditional notions of life expectancy. Some futurists even suggest that practical immortality may be possible by the year 2050.

The modern person has a vast range of technology at their fingertips, allowing us all to live an existence which would have once been considered godlike.

Yet there is also something artificial about this progress. 

Hercules so captivates the imagination because he doesn’t require technological aids to be ‘super’. When he kills the Nemean Lion with his bare hands, he immortalises the story as not only a triumph of good over evil, but also as a triumph of raw strength and ability.

In the real world, demigods with superhuman strength don’t exist, but that doesn’t mean we stop idolising those that push the limits of what seems humanly possible.

The pinnacle of this can be found in sport. A field that demands incredible physical prowess and seemingly superhuman ability. Around the world, across all cultures, we are awed and amazed by the near herculean feats performed by athletes. 

Think of Usain Bolt winning eight Olympic gold medals and becoming the fastest person ever, setting the world record in the 100m and 200m. 

Michael Phelps dominating swimming for a generation, accumulating 28 Olympic medals including 23 gold – more than double the number of his closest competitors. 

In the pole vault Armand Duplantis has broken the world record fourteen times - yes that’s correct, one four, 14 - reaching a height of 6.30 metres.  

All these athletes are undeniably great, but what elevates their legend is that they are using raw talent and gruelling training alone to reach these heights.

As a society we have been clear that to be considered great in sport you must play by the rules. You must put in the hard yards, climb the mountain with your bare hands – there are no shortcuts to greatness, we say.

Except, technically, there are.

Illegal performing enhancing drugs (PEDs) provide a way to leapfrog the competition. By promising enhanced performance they remain a tantalising option for those consumed by the need to win and be ‘super’.

No matter how stringent the anti-doping laws, sport seems unable to stop the most unscrupulous athletes from breaking the rules.

From Lance Armstrong to Justin Gatlin, infamous drug cheats have tarnished the reputation of their sports. State sponsored doping programmes such as those in Russia and East Germany have arguably damaged the reputation of entire competitions. 

Drug cheats have been universally condemned and ostracised by clean athletes and spectators alike. The rules indicated are clear: we will idolise you - but only if you put in the work.

However, a new competition threatens to challenge the traditional order of things. 

The Enhanced Games were announced in 2023 and promised to provide an alternative to traditional sporting competitions. 

According to the organisers, the games will 'redefine super humanity through science, innovation and sports’. Athletes will be able to take PEDs banned in normal sporting competitions [only those legal under US law], using science and technology to enhance performance.

Initially, the Enhanced Games were met with ridicule and criticism. The idea that a competition would legitimise PEDs and thus implicitly justify cheating was roundly decried. 

Recently, though, the games have been gaining credibility. Athletes with successful careers have been signing up to compete, one athlete in the Enhanced Games’ programme has even broken the 50m freestyle world record.  

The shock announcement this week that British swimmer Ben Proud, winner of two world titles and an Olympic silver medal, would be joining the athlete roster has only added to that credibility. 

The addition of Proud suggests more athletes will be tempted to make the switch, potentially tarnishing their reputations in the pursuit of being ‘super’ (and substantial financial rewards).  

What will this mean for conventional ideas of greatness? If the Enhanced Games truly do take off, and competitors start achieving world records across a range of disciplines, traditional ideas of hard work and natural talent will come under pressure.

Only time will tell if the ideal of the ‘super’ can remain herculean in the face of such odds.

Illustrations: Will Allen/Europinion