The inaugural Enhanced Games will take place Sunday in Las Vegas, featuring dozens of athletes competing while openly using performance-enhancing drugs that are banned in traditional sports.

The multi-sport event has drawn former Olympic competitors, including swimmer Ben Proud, a 31-year-old former Team GB athlete who is reportedly earning a mid-six-figure salary for his participation. Proud could earn an additional $1.25 million if he breaks the 50-meter freestyle world record during Sunday's competition.

At a press conference ahead of the event, Enhanced Games CEO Max Martin defended the competition against widespread criticism from traditional sporting organizations. Martin rejected condemnation from established sporting bodies, arguing that the event provides a safer environment for athletes who choose to use performance-enhancing substances.

Proud has denied that the event will encourage young people to try doping, stating that the competition takes place in the "safest environment possible." However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has criticized the event as "dangerous and irresponsible."

The Enhanced Games represents a departure from traditional competitive sports, which prohibit performance-enhancing drugs and impose strict testing protocols. The Las Vegas event aims to create a separate category of competition where such substances are permitted under controlled conditions.