- Modern art museum breathes new life into downtown Warsaw
- Russell tops crash-hit Mexico GP practice
- Fils, Shelton set for friendly fire in Basel semi-finals
- Internet blackout hits Mozambique capital after election protests
- Yankees, Dodgers poised for World Series blockbuster
- 'Catfish' predator who drove US girl to suicide jailed for life in N.Ireland
- NASA astronaut hospitalized after return from ISS
- Biden apologizes for Native American boarding school atrocities
- Mexico rules out designating drug violence as 'terrorism'
- Emery wants no let-up from Aston Villa
- Boeing exploring sale of space business: report
- G20 affirms commitment to transition from fossil fuels
- Shami misses India's tour of Australia as Easwaran named as potential Rohit cover
- BHP, Vale agree to pay $30bn damages for Brazil dam disaster
- 75 sickened as McDonald's severe E. Coli outbreak expands
- Turkmenistan's 'Gateway to Hell' lit gas pit faces closure
- Kickboxing takes Senegal by storm despite tight funds
- Waymo ramps up robotaxi push with $5.6 bn in funding
- Elon Musk all-in for Trump as Moscow denies secret Putin talks
- Covid lessons learned? UN summit mulls plan for healthy planet, and humans
- Borthwick unveils new contracts for leading England players
- Sexual assault scandal rocks Spain's 'most feminist' govt
- France must make 'credible' progress on deficit: finance minister
- Stock markets diverge going into weekend
- BHP, Vale agree to pay $30bn compensation for Brazil dam disaster
- Verstappen says 'definitely' his intention to remain at Red Bull
- Mbappe can launch Madrid career in first Clasico
- A monumental dump and Obama the rapper: an offbeat US campaign week
- Biden to apologize for abusive Native American boarding schools
- Pressure is part of manager's life, says troubled West Ham boss Lopetegui
- Gaza ministry says Israel forces detaining hundreds at hospital
- Hirscher confirms return from retirement at World Cup opener
- IMF raises concerns about effects of Sudan conflict on neighbors
- Seoul slams Russian treaty with N. Korea, Zelensky urges 'tangible pressure'
- De Zerbi hails Greenwood as Marseille await Paris Saint-Germain
- Under-fire Ten Hag blames injuries for derailing Man Utd
- Wounded Arsenal must show 'ruthless mentality' against Liverpool: Arteta
- Howe challenges Newcastle stars to step up
- UK's Labour govt prepares to unveil its first budget
- New Zealand eye history after Santner's 7-53 in India Test
- Guardiola backs Man City's Foden to emerge from slump
- England reeling at 24-3 after gritty Shakeel century
- Pakistan judicial reforms see next top judge passed over
- Germany promises more visas for Indians during Scholz visit
- Postecoglou says hype will not affect teenage star Moore
- PSG reject league order to pay Mbappe 55 mn euros in back pay
- Olympic champion Zheng finds mojo to reach Tokyo semis
- Gritty Shakeel century gives Pakistan lead over England in third Test
- Tropical storm leaves towns submerged, 76 dead in Philippines
- Ancelotti 'not losing sleep' over improved Barca ahead of Clasico
Enhanced Games chief says '50 to 100' Paris Olympians ready to sign up
Between 50 and 100 athletes set to compete at the Paris Olympics are "in the sign-up process" for the inaugural Enhanced Games, where doping will be allowed, the event's chief claims.
Aron D'Souza, who founded the Enhanced Games in 2023 to boost athletes' incomes, made the declaration to News Corp newspapers in Australia on Sunday.
"We have a great many who are in the sign-up process at the moment, who are competing at (the) Paris (Olympics)," said D'Souza of his maiden Games, which are slated for 2025 with venue and broadcast negotiations "well-advanced".
"I would hope 50-100 is (the number) of Paris Olympic alumni who would be competing at the first Games," he added, without specifying whether the sign-up process was a written contract or simply verbal interest
"You will see at the Paris Olympics, some athletes are going to be very open about the Enhanced Games concept. We have quite a plan for the Paris Olympics."
The Olympians would come from across the Enhanced Games' five core disciplines -– swimming and diving, track and field, weightlifting, combat sports and gymnastics.
Under its model, athletes would get a base salary with million-dollar bounties for world records.
They would not be subject to World Anti-Doping Agency rules with competitors able to use performance-enhancing drugs to achieve the feat -- a concept met with disdain by the Olympic movement.
WADA has dubbed the Games "dangerous and irresponsible" while World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said anyone "moronic enough" to take part faced being banned "for a long time".
Former Australian champion swimmer James Magnussen, who won 100m freestyle world titles in 2011 and 2013, is the highest profile athlete so far to publically voice support.
D'Souza said he was not at liberty to name any of the 50 to 100 Olympic competitors, but claimed 1,500 athletes had formally applied to take part in the Enhanced Games since he first put the call out.
He said there had been "great traction" among swimmers and strength sports like powerlifting, but admitted to finding it "a bit more challenging in sprint distance track and field".
"Our perfect candidate is not the 19-year-old who is going to their Olympics for the first time," added the London-based Australian businessman, who has backing from some high-profile venture capitalists including American billionaire Peter Thiel.
"It's the 28-year-old who has gone to the Olympics twice and won a silver medal and they're like, 'I don't want to become a personal trainer'.
"They feel like they have got a little bit more in them before their 'retirement' and put out to pasture at age 30 in elite sports."
L.Durand--AMWN