The Enhanced Games, a doping version of the Olympic Games planned for next year, has poached talent from Nike, Snapchat and Red Bull as the group steps up its efforts to launch in 2025.
The brainchild of London-based billionaire Aron D’Souza, the Enhanced Games will see athletes able to take substances that are currently banned at the Olympic Games.
The group have made the hire of Rick Adams as senior vice president of games delivery, Tim Phelan as vice president of athlete relations, Dr Dan Turner as director of athlete safety and Alejandro Arenas as director of content and digital channels.
Adams brings experience from inside the Olympic Games world as a former Chef de Mission of Team USA while Phelan has joined from sports apparel giant Nike.
Dr Turner is formerly of Red Bull North America while Arenas is formerly of Snapchat and Real Madrid.
D’Souza said: “We’re delighted to welcome Rick, Tim, Dan, and Alejandro to the Enhanced Games.
“Each brings invaluable expertise, energy, and momentum, setting us up for future success.
“As we prepare to host the first-ever Enhanced Games, their combined knowledge and deep experience will play a pivotal role in delivering a truly innovative sports experience.”
The Enhanced Games claims they “are redefining the future of sports, merging scientific innovation with athletic achievement to create a captivating competition for sports fans, tech enthusiasts, and the science-curious”.
The plans are backed by former PayPal chief executive Peter Thiel, ex-Coinbase chief technical officer Balaji Srinivasan and life sciences investor Christian Angermayer.
They signed on Australian swimmer James Magnussen as a key early competitor.