French officials from three governing bodies reminded its athletes of possible sanctions if any of them committed to joining the Enhanced Games, according to warning issued on Friday.
The French Olympic committee, ministry of sports and the French Anti-Doping Agency issued a joint statement that participation in the sports startup that encourages the use of banned substances will result in penalties.
The edict comes after French sprinter Mouhamadou Fall announced last week that he will be the second track and field athlete to join Enhanced’s roster, following Fred Kerley.
“The promoters of this competition want to encourage athletes to break records by authorizing the use of doping,” the joint statement read. “This initiative constitutes a negation of the spirit of sportsmanship and a serious threat to the health of participants, in addition to the harmful image it conveys of sporting performance. While the 20th century was marked by the fear of state doping, the 21st century could see the emergence of a new form of institutionalized doping, at the instigation of certain unscrupulous private promoters ready to sacrifice sporting integrity and health issues to organize an artificial spectacle.”
Fall, 33, is currently serving an 18-month ban due to a second whereabouts violation following a nine-month ban from April 2024 to January 2025. In his official announcement he was adamant about assuming his new role on Enhanced’s growing stable of athletes
“I have dedicated my life to running, and I believe in pushing the boundaries of what is possible,” Fall said in a statement last Thursday. “The Enhanced Games offers a stage where athletes can explore their full potential, free from restrictions that stifle peak performance. I am excited to be the first French athlete to sign up and look forward to competing against the best in the world.”
Fall was a standout athlete for France, primarily competed in the 100m and 200m emerged as a rising talent in 2018 but has not been permitted to race sanctioned events since 2023
Enhanced launched in May with founder Aron D’Souza aiming to push the boundaries of sports by allowing athletes to use performance enhancing substances under medical guidance. His venture will stage the inaugural Enhanced Games in May 2026 in Las Vegas and will offer a $500,000 purse per event and $250,000 to all first-place finishers, including $1 million bonuses bonuses for unofficial world records along with appearance fees.
Track, swimming and weightlifting are among the events Enhanced has promised to feature at its event.
However, the controversial company has faced mounting scrutiny and been widely panned by critics who question the ethics of promoting the use of banned drugs. In August, it filed an $800 million antitrust lawsuit that against the World Anti-Doping Agency, World Aquatics and USA Swimming after claims that the named organizations sought to “crush” its upcoming event and penalize athletes who signed with Enhanced.
French officials have made their stance clear, while the AFLD — it’s anti-doping agency — says it will conduct drug testing on any its athletes who are contracted to compete at the Enhanced Games. They will also likely target Fall for testing.
“As part of its missions, the AFLD will ensure upstream control of Enhanced Games, on national territory or abroad, any French athlete who announces that they wish to participate.” the French joint statement said. “It will thus be able to sanction the use of prohibited substances, in particular those which would be useful in the implementation of a doping protocol for this event, without prejudice to other disciplinary or criminal sanctions which could be taken in this context.”
“Regarding the public announcement of Mr. Mouhamadou Fall, the AFLD reserves the right to integrate him into its target group soon and to carry out the necessary anti-doping controls.”
