At the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas earlier this year, athletes used performance-enhancing drugs and banned equipment in an attempt to break world records. At the same time, companies such as Adidas are designing new types of equipment that fall within the rules, but give athletes an edge. So where is the line between cheating and innovation? This season of Tech Tonic is hosted by Josh Noble and produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon. The senior producer is Edwin Lane and the executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Original music by Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Flo Phillips. Clips: Enhanced Games Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rewiring sport: Hi-tech cheating

FT Tech Tonic

Live from Resort World Las Vegas in a unique purpose-built competition complex, tonight strength will be measured, speed will be tested and human potential will be redefined. The camera sweeps across an Olympic-sized swimming pool. It's time to meet our athletes for the men's 50-metre freestyle. But these swimmers aren't normal athletes and this isn't a normal swimming race.

This is the Enhanced Games, or as some prefer to call it, the Steroid Olympics. From Greece, a World Championship silver medalist and European champion, Christian Kolomeo. The athletes are here to smash world records using the latest anabolic steroids and human growth hormones. And they're dressed in tight-fitting super suits that are banned from mainstream sports.

It's our way here. Expect Proud in the blue suit in the middle to get off to a good start. It gets off to an absolute flyer. So Proud takes it down. Can Kolomeo close the gap? They get past the 25. Proud still in control. Kolomeo coming now. That world record, 20.88. They're stroke for stroke. Proud, Kolomeo. Greek swimmer Christian Kolomeo breaks the world record by 0.09 seconds.

What a race and notice all the swimmers lining the pool cheering on what we just saw. Elite sport is all about pushing the limits of performance. But when does technological innovation tip over into cheating?

This is Tech Tonic from the Financial Times. I'm FT Sports Editor Josh Noble. In this season, I've been looking at how tech is fundamentally changing every aspect of athletic competition,

from training to competing to watching. With the World Cup underway, are these advances in technology leaving the world of sport better off? In this, the final episode, I'm asking, when new technology crosses the line into cheating, does the push for more innovation in sport risk...

Rewiring sport: Hi-tech cheating

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

Rewiring sport: Hi-tech cheating

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.