Athletes scheduled to participate at this summer’s Paris Olympics have expressed an interest in competing in the Enhanced Games, where doping is allowed, says the event’s founder.
Aron D’Souza says athletes who have contacted him are keen to “make some real money” during non-Olympic years.
The Enhanced Games, founded by D’Souza in 2023, would not be subject to World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) rules.
“Excellence deserves to be rewarded,” said the Australian businessman.
Wada has called the Enhanced Games “a dangerous and irresponsible concept”.
Speaking to BBC World Service Sport, D’Souza said: “It is unfortunate that our Olympians earn so little.
“There are a lot of athletes who are going to compete at the Paris Olympics, including some of the top Team USA track and field athletes who have reached out to me. Because, let’s be honest, they’re flipping burgers to provide for themselves, and financially it just doesn’t work for them.
“So they’re very excited to compete at the Enhanced Games to make some real money and have an opportunity to grow their fame, to monetise and practise their sport in the three years that the Olympics won’t be happening.”
The Enhanced Games are planned to include athletics, swimming, weightlifting, gymnastics and combat sports, though no date or venue for the event has yet been set.
Wada, in criticising the Games, has said that “athletes serve as role models and we believe this proposed event would send the wrong signal to young people around the world”.
D’Souza has defended the proposed event, saying steps will be taken to minimise risks to athletes’ health.
“There’s of course concern about health and safety, and I always underline the fact that everything will be done under clinical supervision,” he said.
“The best thing to do is to enhance yourself with clinical advice, with clinical supervision, and that is much safer.”
Earlier this month, former champion James Magnussen agreed to come out of retirement to compete in the Games and attempt to swim faster than the 50m freestyle record in return for $1m (£792,000).
Even if Magnussen did swim faster than the world record it would not be official because there would be no drug-testing regime.
‘It goes against what the Olympics stand for’
British former Olympic 200m butterfly bronze medallist Steve Parry is critical of the concept of the Enhanced Games and the message it sends out to young athletes.
“I really don’t like it at all. It goes against virtually every fibre of what I stood for and what I think the Olympics stand for,” he told BBC World Service Sport.
“I think the Olympics is there to inspire children primarily to want to do really good things in sport, but we exist in a society today that is about cutting corners.
“It takes a long time to win Olympic medals and I’m concerned around the message that this might send around.”
Parry, who retired from swimming in 2005, says he shares D’Souza’s concerns about athletes’ pay but believes money is not their primary motivation.
“I think if you ask Olympians and why they do what they do, money wouldn’t really factor into it,” added the 46-year-old.
“The endeavour of the Olympic Games is one of the purest things that we have left and I think that’s a concept that’s worth that’s worth fighting for.”