MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Olympic silver medallist swimmer Ben Proud is joining the Enhanced Games, with the Briton saying he wants to explore the limits of human possibility.
The 30-year-old, who is the first British athlete to join the controversial event that permits athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs, announced the decision on Instagram on Wednesday, to mostly negative comments.
"It's time for a shift," Proud wrote. "I will be retiring from traditional swimming to compete in the Enhanced Games.
"Stepping into a framework that challenges everything we know about performance, and a chance to chase the outer edge of human potential with the tools and possibilities of our time.
This is where my next chapter begins."
Proud raced to silver in the 50-metres freestyle at the Paris Games, his first Olympic medal.
Aquatics GB said they are "immensely disappointed" in Proud's announcement.
"Aquatics GB, along with our partners, stand firmly behind the values and principles of clean sport and condemn Ben's decision in the strongest terms," it said in a statement.
Proud told the BBC that he sees traditional sport and Enhanced Games as "two very separate entities," and that he does not feel that competing in the Enhanced Games undermines clean sport efforts.
"I think it opens up the potential avenue to excel in a very different way," he said. "I think realistically I've achieved everything I can, and now the Enhanced (Games) is giving me a new opportunity. I definitely don't think that's undermining a clean sport.
"I really respect the sport I've been part of, and I would never step back in knowing I've done something which isn't in the rules."
The Enhanced Games have set their inaugural competition for May 2026 in Las Vegas, with swimming, athletics and weightlifting on the agenda, to the consternation of anti-doping bodies.
World Aquatics announced a bylaw in June that will prevent any athlete or official who supports or endorses doping from competing in their events, meaning moving from traditional competition to the Enhanced Games is a one-way street.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
