Olympian Hunter Armstrong announces plans to compete in Enhanced Games despite World Aquatics ban threat

Two-time gold medalist Hunter Armstrong became the latest Olympian to announce plans to compete in the Enhanced Games later this year, and he’ll be doing so without the assistance of any performance-enhancing drugs. 

Armstrong, the two-time Olympian and 25-year-old Ohio native, told ESPN that he intends to compete in the Olympic-style games this May without the use of banned substances. He explained that his decision ultimately came down to a financial one. 

Hunter Armstrong swims in the 100-meter freestyle during the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 18, 2024. (Robert Goddin/USA TODAY Sports)

“If I don’t join Enhanced, I lose everything. If I do join Enhanced, I have a chance at not losing everything,” Armstrong said, explaining that in order to keep swimming he decided to compete.  “My back was against the wall, so I had to reopen that conversation to see if it was a plausible option.”

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Armstrong told the outlet after losing a main sponsor abruptly last year, he needed to find a new way to continue swimming. The Enhanced Games are set to take place in Las Vegas, where rewards of up to $1 million are being offered.

But World Aquatics, the sport’s governing body, came out last year with an amendment to its bylaws that would ban any athlete from the sport if they were to compete in the Enhanced Games.

“Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events,” its president Husain al-Musallam said in a statement after the decision in June. The new rule states anyone who “support, endorse, or participate in sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices that may include prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods.” 

Caeleb Dressel of Team United States, Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano and Hunter Armstrong before the men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay final on Day One of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, France, on July 27, 2024. (Xavier Laine/Getty Images)

However, Armstrong told ESPN that after consulting attorneys, he believes he would still be eligible for competition if he maintains drug testing and follows the governing body’s rules and regulations. But he did not receive a definitive answer before making the decision to compete. 

“Nobody really knows what’s going to happen, and nobody will give me an answer on what’s going to happen,” he said. “So all I can work off of is what the rules say and take a chance because I won’t get an answer by waiting.”

Hunter Armstrong of Team United States prepares to compete in the men’s 50-meter backstroke final on day eight of the Budapest 2022 FINA World Championships at Duna Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on June 25, 2022. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

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A spokesperson for World Aquatics told ESPN that the organization will decide on the new rule on a case-by-case basis.

Several Olympians, including James Magnussen, Ben Proud, Cody Miller and Fred Kerley, will compete in the Enhanced Games. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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