Olympic medal winner, 30, becomes first British athlete to sign up to controversial drug-cheat competition Enhanced Games - as furious Aquatics GB hit out at swimmer's decision to compete for $1m prize

An Olympic silver medallist has become the first British athlete to sign up for the controversial Enhanced Games.

The new multi-sport event, which is scheduled for May 2026 and will allow athletes to take performance-enhancing drugs while competing, has been met with huge backlash from the sporting world and scientific community since its launch in 2023.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has heavily criticised the event, insisting it puts athlete safety at 'serious risk' and 'fundamentally undermines' sporting values.

Swimmer Ben Proud, who won a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, has now decided to take part in the controversial event.

Proud, 30, will now no longer be able to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after World Aquatics, swimming's governing body, issued a ban on athletes taking part at the Enhanced Games.

'My ambition has always been to be the fastest man on the planet,' Proud said as part of the announcement on Wednesday. 'I want to focus on performance at its highest level and challenge myself in new ways.

'The Enhanced Games gives me that chance — to test the limits of human potential with the tools and possibilities of our time.'

Aquatics GB, the national governing body for swimming, diving, artistic swimming, water polo and para-swimming, responded to the news with a scathing statement of their own on Wednesday afternoon.

It read: 'Aquatics GB is immensely disappointed in Ben Proud's announcement to sign with the Enhanced Games. 

'Aquatics GB, along with our partners, stand firmly behind the values and principles of clean sport and condemns Ben's decision in the strongest terms. A further statement will be issued in due course.'

The inaugural Enhanced Games is set to offer $250,000 (£185,000) to the winners of each event, with a separate $1m (£740,000) fund on offer to whoever can break the world record in the 100m track sprint and 50m freestyle.

Proud, who competes in the latter event, has a personal best of 21.11 seconds and will be eager shave off two-tenths of a second when he takes part at the Enhanced Games in May 2026, given the world record stands at 20.91 seconds - set by Cesar Cielo Filho back in 2009.

'Bringing an athlete of Ben's caliber to the Enhanced Games is truly amazing,' Maximilian Martin, the event's deputy president, said after the announcement.

'Our mission is to offer athletes the ability to perform at their absolute highest level and get paid appropriately for their incredible talent. Ben's decision to join us underscores the growing appeal of the Enhanced Games as the future of elite competition.'