USA Weightlifting has strongly condemned the Enhanced Games, a multi-sport event scheduled for 2026 that permits performance-enhancing substances, asserting that it undermines the integrity of clean sport and threatens the values of fair play. The federation, led by President Matt Sicchio, aligns with the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and others in rejecting the Enhanced Games, citing health risks and damage to the trust in sports. WADA President Witold Banka has urged US authorities to prevent the event, while Enhanced Games organizers defend their stance by promoting the scientific and economic benefits of performance enhancements.

The Enhanced Games, a controversial event promoting drug use, has signed Megan Romano, a gold medalist at the Barcelona 2013 World Aquatics Championships, as its first female athlete. The event faces strong opposition from organizations like the International Weightlifting Federation, World Anti-Doping Agency, and the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation, who cite health risks and the undermining of fair play. Romano defends her participation as an opportunity to push human performance in a transparent, scientifically-backed environment with fair compensation. The Enhanced Games, scheduled to debut in May 2026 in Las Vegas, offers $500,000 per event and $1 million for world records in specific events and is backed by venture capitalists, including Donald Trump Jr.

International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) President Mohammed Jalood reaffirmed the federation's commitment to clean sport and condemned the Enhanced Games. Jalood, recently re-elected until 2029, highlighted IWF's unity and focus on its Olympic role. The IWF is revising anti-doping rules with the International Testing Agency (ITA). Initiatives like Swiss Street Weightlifting and partnerships with Eleiko and ZKC aim to broaden the sport's appeal and support athlete development.

The International Testing Agency (ITA) reported anti-doping rule violations for wrestlers Ana Luiza Pereira (Brazil) and Abdelkrim Ouakali (Algeria), and weightlifter Dae Hee Kwon (South Korea). Pereira tested positive for 19-norandrosterone at the Ranking Series in Ulaanbaatar on May 30, 2024, while Ouakali tested positive for boldenone at the African Championships in Casablanca on May 3, 2025. Both are provisionally suspended. Kwon accepted a three-year ban for trimetazidine, with his ineligibility running from April 14, 2025, to April 13, 2028, disqualifying results from February 26, 2025.

EWF President Astrit Hasani, elected in April, has initiated reforms within his first 100 days, including stricter anti-doping policies, removing U15 and U23 records due to insufficient anti-doping controls, ensuring equal access for athletes regardless of political tensions, creating more EWF training campuses, inviting Chinese coach Yong Xie to Madrid, modernizing internal management, and promoting transparent governance.