Future Olympic athletes could be sorted into classes by their
genetic makeup or even allowed to enhance their genomes through
genetic engineering. This sci-fi scenario may one day become a
reality thanks to the rapid-fire advances in the field of
genomic technology and the ever-expanding knowledge of gene
variants that contribute to success and dominance in sports,
according to Juan Enriquez and Steve Gullans, two venture
capitalists writing in last week's issue of Nature. "Are the
games in fact a showcase for hardworking 'mutants'?" they ask.
"And if Olympic rule-makers admit that the genetic landscape is
uneven, should they then test every athlete and hold separate
competitions for the genetically ungifted?" Enriquez and Gullans
add that it will also be possible in the future to "allow
athletes who did not win the genetic lottery to 'upgrade'
through gene therapy—a practice that is now banned as 'gene
doping.'" Currently, there are more than 200 gene variants that
research has associated with various athlet