Witts, James

As human beings, we’re fascinated by elite human performance. And if it derives from nefarious means? Arguably that’s even more alluring – just look at the Enhanced Games, the sporting free-for-all where doping is allowed that will take place in 2026. The lengths athletes, and their support teams, go to in search of peak performance is unsettling, dangerous and captivating. Just as intriguing is how the anti-doping authorities combat, or attempt to combat, the cheats. Blood tests, urine tests, examination of fitness data, monitoring social media a la Big Brother in an effort to determine where the athlete’s training. Is it in a country that doesn’t have an accredited testing lab nearby? The alarm bells ring. It’s good versus evil, but who’s winning? Through the lens of case studies through the history of doping in sport, ‘Dope’ examines the landscape of sport and doping in the modern era.