Would you support competitions between "enhanced athletes"?

[sylpherware]

There has been a couple of articles floating around suggesting an "Olympic game" for "enhanced athletes"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2176077/Forget-Olympics--Here-come-Superhuman-games-genetically-enhanced-humans.html
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-05/why-we-need-league-performance-enhanced-athletes

If this were to happen, would you support it?

A couple of things to keep in mind:
1. The "enhancement" the articles talk about is usually chem-based, i.e. drugs. However, there are already many technologies that are integrated into the games, such as fabric that let swimmers become more fish-like, shoes that give runner a split-second edge, or lighter material for bikes or boats. Are they not considered as "enhancements" just because they're not integrated into the athlete's bodies? What about in Paralympics, where their athletes rely on many technological advancement to allow them to even compete?

2. Athletes usually become role-models for children too. While it's fun for us adults to watch a bunch of souped-up guys competing for whatever, would you want your children to call them "heroes", or even follow in their footsteps?

3. What if the enhancement drugs do not have permanent effect on the athlete? Would that make it better?

[brunes]

I wouldn't care any more or less about this than I do about the current waste of time and money that is the current "Olympics".

There is no way when I have a kid that I would ever let them look up to an athlete as a "role model". The last thing I would ever want my kid to grow up to be is an athlete.

[Piro21]

I think they should all compete naked, or with uniforms and equipment solely supplied by the olympic committee. I can't believe they allow the obvious cheating that those swimsuits provide, especially when the games are supposed to be about human competition.

[sandikosh]

Ever since technology was brought into the sports, all athletes are "enhanced".

[desidealer49]

Nope. Why not just send robots to compete instead?

[rommelrommel]

I would probably care just a little bit less than I do about the current Olympics, which is very little.

[Aznsilvrboy]

Just FYI, those fish swimming suits have been banned already. But yes, technology is always enhancing the athletes in some other ways.

[flashy_mcflash]

Nope. Why not just send robots to compete instead?

Are you suggesting Robot Olympics? Because I'm fully on board with that.

[vero95]

not at olympics. it would be more a competition among drug companies and not humans
having said that, if that were a special category, people may profit from it (like we profit from car racing) assuming it's safe of course but that is a big question

[aTriangle]

I'd be more interested to see competition where competitors could only eat whole foods.

[mjl_toronto]

I'd be interested only to know the results of how far the human body can be pushed, with or without drugs/enhancements.
Probably wouldn't watch it, but would definintely check out highlights on youtube.

Oh, and letting kids look up to athletes as heros? LOL

[nauru]

Are you suggesting Robot Olympics? Because I'm fully on board with that.

+1

Real Steel but with more events. Human olympics is mostly boring except for a couple of decent sports. The last thing I want to watch is 6000 iterations of people swimming from one end of a pool to another.

[sylpherware]

Nope. Why not just send robots to compete instead?

There are robot competitions already.