Latest news with #Olympics-style
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
‘We'd be delighted if members of the royal family were able to attend': Prince Harry's team goes off script during Invictus interview
Prince Harry's PR team has been dealt a curve ball after a representative for the Duke of Sussex's signature Invictus Games made a curious remark after being questioned about the royal family. Harry helped set up Invictus in 2014 as an Olympics-style international sporting event for injured and wounded servicemen and women across the globe. The first ever winter edition of the Invictus Games took place in Whistler and Vancouver in February this year and featured athletes from 23 different countries. The next edition of the Invictus Games is set to take place in 2027 in Birmingham, marking the event's return to Harry's native United Kingdom for the first time since the inaugural London games. Last week, Helen Helliwell, CEO of the Invictus Games in Birmingham, sat down with People magazine and revealed her hopes that Harry's estranged relatives will show up in Birmingham. The iconic American tabloid typically reports on the Sussexes positively and has been granted rare exclusives from Harry and Meghan. 'They've been supporters of Invictus since inception in 2014,' Ms Helliwell told the magazine. "Again, we're two years away, and it's too soon to confirm who's going to be there. 'But obviously, we'd be delighted if members of the royal family were able to attend and would very much welcome their presence in a couple of years' time.' While the royal family has supported Harry's signature organisation since its inception, no senior royals have appeared at any Invictus event since the Sussexes left royal duties five years ago. The entire monarchy also noticeably snubbed a major service in London to celebrate a decade of Invictus at St Paul's Cathedral last year. Instead, Harry was supported at the event by his uncle Earl Spencer and his aunt Lady Jane Fellowes from Princess Diana's side of the family. Meanwhile, Harry's wife Meghan Markle still allegedly refuses to return to the UK without an apology from the monarchy for perceived mistreatment. The comments come after fresh speculation the rift between Harry and King Charles is finally starting to thaw. Over the weekend, Harry's new chief communications officer, Meredith Maines, and UK-based PR rep Liam Maguire were photographed meeting with the King's top aide, Communications Secretary Tobyn Andreae, near Clarence House. The meeting, first revealed by The Mail on Sunday, reportedly had "no formal agenda" but there were "things both sides wanted to talk about".
Sky News AU
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Prince Harry announces major Invictus update on the first day of Royal Ascot after staff changes inside Sussex media team
Prince Harry has shared a major update about his signature Invictus Games organisation on the same day as King Charles and Queen Camilla's appearance at Royal Ascot. Harry helped set up Invictus in 2014 as an Olympics-style international sporting event for injured and wounded service men and women across the globe. On Tuesday, the foundation officially announced that a record six host cities have expressed interest in hosting the 2029 edition of the games. The cities in the running include Aalborg, Denmark; Veneto Region, Italy; Abuja, Nigeria; Daejeon, South Korea; Kyiv, Ukraine; and San Diego in the United States. The addition of a Nigerian city to the list could possibly be linked to the Sussexes' highly-publicised faux 'royal tour' of the African nation last year. 'We are thrilled to have such interest, demonstrating a clear recognition of the powerful impact of hosting an Invictus Games, not only on the competitors themselves, but on those supporting, watching, and cheering on from the stands,' Invictus CEO Rob Owen said in a statement. The press release emphasising the remarkable international interest in the foundation was released and dated on the same day the royal family gathered at Royal Ascot in Berkshire. While Harry's relationship with his father King Charles and brother Prince William is at a standstill, the remaining Windsors appeared closer than ever in new photos taken at the prestigious racing event. Likely adding insult to injury, the King was seen warmly interacting with Harry's cousins, including Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips. The big reunion also saw the Duchess of York make a grand return to the royal occasion in another sign Charles has welcomed his former sister-in-law back into the fold. Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have both been accused of intentionally timing press announcements with royal occasions, possibly to draw attention away from the monarchy. The latest timing overlap comes after reports the Sussexes have parted ways with several staffers, including their Los Angeles-based deputy press secretary, Kyle Boulia, and their U.K. press officer, Charlie Gipson. Mr Boulia and Mr Gipson were brought on by the ex-working royals last year during a major hiring blitz designed to help overall Harry and Meghan's public image.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Olympic athletes warn pro-doping Enhanced Games could lead to deaths
Former swimming world champion James Magnussen attends a Las Vegas press conference in May to announce he will be joining the new Enhanced Games. Former swimming world champion James Magnussen attends a Las Vegas press conference in May to announce he will be joining the new Enhanced Games. Photograph: Arafat Barbakh/Reuters Olympic athletes have condemned the Enhanced Games – a controversial new sporting event where competitors are encouraged to use performance-enhancing drugs – warning it could result in long-term health consequences or even deaths. In a joint statement issued Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) athletes' commissions called the Enhanced Games 'a betrayal of everything that we stand for'. Advertisement Related: Pro-doping Enhanced Games to debut in Las Vegas with Trump Jr backing 'Promoting performance-enhancing substances and methods sends a dangerous message – especially to current and future generations of athletes,' the statement read. 'Such substances can lead to serious long-term health consequences – even death – and encouraging athletes to use them is utterly irresponsible and immoral. No level of sporting success is worth such a cost.' The rebuke is the most forceful yet against the Enhanced Games, an Olympics-style event set to debut next May in Las Vegas where athletes will be allowed, and in some cases incentivized, to use banned substances under medical supervision. Organizers of the Enhanced Games have positioned the competition as a radical alternative to traditional sport, promising to embrace what they call 'superhumanity' by normalizing pharmaceutical and technological enhancement. The event will run 21–24 May 2026 at Resorts World on the Las Vegas Strip and feature sprinting, swimming and weightlifting. Advertisement While promoters frame the Games as a scientific revolution and a break from what they call the 'hypocrisy' of anti-doping regimes, the backlash has been swift and severe. 'This is a dangerous clown show, not real sport,' said Travis Tygart, CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency, in an earlier statement. 'As we have seen through history, performance-enhancing drugs have taken a terrible physical and mental toll on many athletes. Some have died.' The Enhanced Games' founder, the Australian entrepreneur Aron D'Souza, insists the event is both ethical and medically sound. Athletes will undergo individualized health profiling, disclose all substances used while competing under the supervision of independent scientific and ethics boards. Traditional anti-doping tests will not be conducted. 'The Enhanced Games is renovating the Olympic model for the 21st century,' D'Souza said. 'In the era of accelerating technological and scientific change, the world needs a sporting event that embraces the future – particularly advances in medical science.' Advertisement Critics say the model amounts to 'don't ask, don't tell' for doping. Others see a deeper agenda: a challenge not only to sport's institutions but to its foundational values. Many have also raised concerns about the political and financial backers of the event. Related: 'Imagine if a 60-year-old broke Usain Bolt's record': the story behind the Enhanced Games, the Olympics where everyone dopes The latest round of funding includes investment from 1789 Capital – a firm co-founded by Donald Trump Jr and Omeed Malik – while tech billionaire Peter Thiel has been listed as a major investor and 'close advisor', according to D'Souza. A video announcing the backing appeared to suggest the US president's personal endorsement. D'Souza has openly welcomed their involvement, describing Trump-aligned figures as 'some of the most significant' cultural supporters of the project. The event's tagline, Live Enhanced, has become both a rallying cry and a provocation. Organizers say they are recruiting athletes who feel alienated by conventional doping restrictions, including former swimming world champion James Magnussen. In February, Greek-Bulgarian swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev recorded a time 0.02sec faster than the longstanding 50m freestyle world record, reportedly while following an enhancement protocol. But the swim was not officially recognized – in part because he wore a polyurethane suit not approved by Fina, swimming's global governing body. Advertisement Prize money for the 2026 Games is substantial: up to $500,000 per event, with a $1m bonus for record-breaking performances. Despite mounting criticism, the Enhanced Games show no signs of slowing down. Organizers say discussions are ongoing with sponsors and streaming platforms, though no broadcast partner or marquee athlete has been publicly confirmed. If regulatory pressure builds, the Games' future could hinge on whether the public sees the venture as scientific progress or a dangerous line crossed. For now, Olympic athletes say the stakes couldn't be higher. 'We stand firmly together for the values of fair play, ethical behaviour and respect,' the IOC and WADA athletes said in Tuesday's statement. 'We will do everything we can to protect the integrity of sport for generations to come.'
Straits Times
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Anti-doping bodies condemn ‘dangerous' drug-fueled Enhanced Games
The Enhanced Games team attend a press conference to announce the event scheduled for May 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS LOS ANGELES – Anti-doping bodies on May 22 condemned plans for the first edition of the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, an Olympics-style event where athletes will be free to use performance-enhancing drugs. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) and bodies across the world have taken aim at the event after organisers revealed the date, venue and format for the competition. The Enhanced Games will be staged in Las Vegas in May 2026, with athletes participating in three sports – athletics, swimming and weightlifting. Athletes will be allowed to use drugs which are banned across international sport such as steroids and human-growth hormones, with winners of each event receiving US$250,000 (S$322,000), and a bonus of US$1 million for anyone who breaks a world record. Aron D'Souza, the Australian entrepreneur who is the founder of the event, says the Games are an exercise in testing the boundaries of human performance. 'The Enhanced Games is renovating the Olympic model for the 21st century,' he said on May 21 as details of the Games were revealed. 'We are here to move humanity forward. The old rules didn't just hold back athletes, they held back humanity. 'We are not just organising competition, we are in the business of unlocking human potential. We are the vanguard of super-humanity.' The Games will take place from May 21-24 at the Resorts World hotel in Las Vegas. Swimming will hold 100m and 50m freestyle events, along with 100m and 50m butterfly. Athletics events include the 100m and 100m and 110m hurdles. Weightlifters will compete in the snatch and clean & jerk disciplines. Wada, the global anti-doping watchdog, condemned plans for the event as 'dangerous', voicing concern it could lead athletes around the world to dabble in illicit substances with potentially deadly consequences. 'Wada condemns the Enhanced Games as a dangerous and irresponsible concept,' the agency said in a statement. 'The health and well-being of athletes is Wada's No. 1 priority. Clearly this event would jeopardise that as it seeks to promote the use of powerful substances and methods by athletes for the purposes of entertainment and marketing. 'There have been many examples of athletes suffering serious long-term side-effects from their use of prohibited substances and methods. Some have died.' Travis Tygart, the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), said the event was a 'dangerous clown show that puts profit over principle'. Australia's anti-doping body, Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), also condemned the risks posed to athletes participating in the Enhanced Games. 'We work to ensure that sport is safe and fair to all,' SIA chief executive Sarah Benson said in a statement. 'The Enhanced Games is promoting the complete opposite and poses a significant risk to athlete health and safety.' D'Souza, however, has pushed back on those criticisms, insisting that the competition would be conducted 'safely'. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
News18
22-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
Olympics-Style Regulated Roid Rage? WADA Slams Drug-Fueled 'Enhanced Games'
Published By : Siddarth Sriram AFP Last Updated: Athletes will be allowed to use drugs that are banned across international sport, such as steroids and human growth hormones, with winners of each event receiving $250,000. (Credit: X) Anti-doping bodies on Thursday condemned plans for the first edition of the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, an Olympics-style event where athletes will be free to use performance-enhancing drugs. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and bodies across the world have taken aim at the event after organizers revealed the date, venue, and format for the competition. The Enhanced Games will be staged in Las Vegas in May 2026, with athletes participating in three sports — athletics, swimming, and weightlifting. Athletes will be allowed to use drugs that are banned across international sport, such as steroids and human growth hormones, with winners of each event receiving $250,000, and a bonus of $1 million for anyone who breaks a world record. Aron D'Souza, the Australian entrepreneur who is the founder of the event, says the Enhanced Games are an exercise in testing the boundaries of human performance. 'The Enhanced Games is renovating the Olympic model for the 21st century," D'Souza said on Wednesday as details of the games were revealed. 'We are here to move humanity forward," D'Souza said. 'The old rules didn't just hold back athletes, they held back humanity. 'We are not just organising competition, we are in the business of unlocking human potential. We are the vanguard of super-humanity." The Enhanced Games will take place from May 21-24 at the Resorts World hotel in Las Vegas. Swimming will hold 100m and 50m freestyle events, along with 100m and 50m butterfly. Athletics events include the 100m and 100m and 110m hurdles. Weightlifters will compete in the snatch and clean & jerk disciplines. WADA, the global anti-doping watchdog, on Thursday condemned plans for the event as 'dangerous", voicing concern it could lead athletes around the world to dabble in illicit substances with potentially deadly consequences. 'WADA condemns the Enhanced Games as a dangerous and irresponsible concept," the agency said in a statement. 'The health and well-being of athletes is WADA's number-one priority. 'Clearly this event would jeopardize that as it seeks to promote the use of powerful substances and methods by athletes for the purposes of entertainment and marketing. 'There have been many examples of athletes suffering serious long-term side-effects from their use of prohibited substances and methods. Some have died." Travis Tygart, the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), said the event was a 'dangerous clown show that puts profit over principle." Australia's anti-doping body, Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), also condemned the risks posed to athletes participating in the Enhanced Games. 'We work to ensure that sport is safe and fair to all," SIA chief executive Sarah Benson said in a statement. 'The Enhanced Games is promoting the complete opposite and poses a significant risk to athlete health and safety." Enhanced Games founder D'Souza however has pushed back on those criticisms, insisting that the competition would be conducted 'safely". 'We live in a world transformed by science – from vaccines to AI," said D'Souza. 'But sport has stood still. Until today. We are not updating the rulebook – we are rewriting it. And we're doing it safely, ethically, and boldly." The Enhanced Games have received financial backing from investors who include billionaire PayPal founder Peter Thiel as well as investment firm 1789 Capital, in which Donald Trump Jr. is a partner. First Published:
