The Vergecast
The grift and glory of the Enhanced Games
Published: 3 June 2026 at 21:16 Europe/London
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Episode notes
How far can we push the limits of the human body? At the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas, a few dozen athletes tried to find out, and The Verge's Victoria Song was there to watch. She tells us the story of the swimmers, weightlifters, and other athletes who competed, the intense training and drug regimens they underwent, and the complicated mix of pseudo-science and actual science behind the event. Then, she tells us where this project goes from here — because the Enhanced Games experiment is just beginning.
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(Timestamps are approximate.)
00:00:00 90 Seconds Headlines
00:04:00 What Are Enhanced Games
00:06:00 Sport Science or Grift
00:07:00 Wellness Grifter Playbook
00:10:00 Rules for Doping
00:11:00 Allowed Drugs Explained
00:14:00 Clean Athletes Surprise
00:18:00 Harm Reduction Argument
00:21:00 Heat and Event Chaos
00:28:00 Peptides for Sale
00:29:00 Telehealth Friction Debate
00:32:00 Influencers vs Media Narrative
00:33:00 Athlete Payout Reality
00:35:00 Future Plans and Stock
00:37:00 Vegas Vibes and Sexy Water
00:37:00 Hotline
00:41:00 Ferrari Luce Listener Takes
00:44:00 Final Thoughts and WWDC Plug
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