Jamaica’s key athletics stakeholders have distanced themselves from the Enhanced Games, making it unequivocally clear that the country remains firmly opposed to any competition that permits the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Their stance was shared at the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission’s (JADCO) annual symposium, held in St Andrew on Thursday, where Sport Minister Olivia Grange, World Athletics Coaches’ Commission member David Riley, Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) First Vice-President Ian Forbes, and JADCO Chairperson Debby-Ann Brown Salmon all voiced strong objections to the controversial event scheduled for Las Vegas in May.

The symposium occurred just over a week after sprinter Shockoria Wallace became the first Jamaican athlete to sign up for the privately funded Enhanced Games, which openly allows the use of performance-enhancing substances under medical supervision and offers lucrative prize money for record-breaking performances. Wallace’s decision drew public concern earlier this week from former JAAA president and long-time team physician Dr Warren Blake, who questioned both the safety and credibility of the concept.

Addressing the symposium as special guest speaker, Grange made Jamaica’s position unmistakably clear.

“As a WADA foundation board member, and a proud Jamaican who oversees the national anti-doping framework in Jamaica, I cannot, and we cannot, endorse the hosting of or participation in the Enhanced Games,” she said. “The Enhanced Games provide an opportunity for athletes to compete using performance-enhancing substances. This is counter to everything we believe in and promote at JADCO, and as signatories to the International Convention Against Doping In Sport and the WADA Code. So let it be clear — we are about clean sport. We’re not about enhanced performances.”

Grange stressed that the issue extends beyond rules and testing, framing clean sport as a reflection of Jamaica’s national identity.

“All stakeholders must begin to see ‘clean sport’ as more than a regulatory issue,” she said. “We must begin to see it as a matter of character, in a sense, national character, and tied to our national development. Integrity, fairness, and discipline must be seen as central to who we are as a people and must be reflected in every aspect of our sporting culture. We must agree as a nation that when we uphold clean sport, we are safeguarding our global reputation. We are safeguarding our rich legacy and strengthening the foundation on which our rich athletic prowess has been built.”

During a panel discussion, Forbes was asked what he believed would motivate athletes to take part in the Enhanced Games, which will feature track and field, swimming, and weightlifting without traditional drug testing.

“I think it’s the potential financial gain from it,” he said. “I think that would be the overarching factor. If I probably take [many] pharmaceuticals, it wouldn’t help me. I probably wouldn’t get out of the starting blocks or get over the first hurdle despite the lucrative potential reward. It’s strictly financial, based on my personal observation. What else could it be? Most of these athletes are in the twilight of their careers. Some are, like myself, way over the hill. I find it most disturbing and I’m very happy that our minister has come out publicly and declared the ministry’s and Jamaica’s position.”

Riley admits the Enhanced Games may be a spectacle but questioned the long-term implications for athletes who choose to associate themselves with it.

“The fact that we’re talking about it means that maybe most of you will watch it anyway,” he said. “So some athletes might be doing it for the fame. Some people might not necessarily [be able to] break through with the quality of athletes that are running clean sport, so they decide that they’re going to try this and star it up.

“I’ve heard one of the athletes, in an interview, say he hasn’t taken anything yet. So it doesn’t mean that they will take something to participate. They’re not required to take something to participate, but I think the association with the competition wouldn’t necessarily be best for your long-term reputation.

“But I think it’s unfortunate. It’s kind of a conversation that used to take place years ago, where people would say, ‘What if we allowed people to just take anything they want?’ And to see it come to reality is a little troubling.”

Forbes says, however, that athletes nearing the end of their track careers should instead consider what he describes as more positive alternatives.

“Look at bobsledding,” he said. “A number of athletes would’ve participated as track and field athletes and some in other sports – weightlifting as well. They have transitioned into powerlifting, bobsledding, so there are other positive pathways rather than looking to enhance their performances this way. Let me leave it at that.”

Brown Salmon shared those concerns, warning that the short-term appeal of events like the Enhanced Games could carry lasting consequences.

“While new platforms and the promise of rewards may seem attractive, we must consider the long-term consequences of such choices,” the JADCO chair said. “Participation in events like the Enhanced Games undermines the principles we have worked very hard to uphold. Athletes who align with such organisations risk their reputations, future eligibility in mainstream sport, and most importantly, the trust of their communities and country by far. By stepping away from clean sport, they jeopardise not only their own legacy, but also Jamaica’s sporting excellence and integrity on the world’s stage.

“Upholding clean sport is about more than personal achievement. It’s about preserving the honour, respect, and pride that the Jamaican sporting fraternity upholds.”

World Athletics and World Aquatics have already publicly opposed the Enhanced Games with World Aquatics enacting a by-law in 2025 banning individuals who support or participate in events that embrace prohibited substances or methods from competing in its competitions — a position that aligns closely with the sentiments expressed by Jamaica.

Shockoria Wallace (Photo: Observer file)

GRANGE… I cannot, and we cannot, endorse the hosting of, or participation in, the Enhanced Games (Photo: JIS)

BROWN SALMON… while new platforms and the promise of rewards may seem attractive, we must consider the long-term consequences of such choices (Photo: JIS)

RILEY… to see it come to reality is a little troubling (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

FORBES… there are other positive pathways rather than looking to enhance their performances this way (Photo: Observer file)

GRANGE… integrity, fairness, and discipline must be seen as central to who we are as a people and must be reflected in every aspect of our sporting culture (Photo: Observer file)