While the Enhanced games may have seen only one world record broken, the financial payouts to its athletes were nearly impossible to ignore. However, in the aftermath of it all, the skepticism of fellow athletes around the world can still be clearly heard. One of the latest and biggest to speak out about the Enhanced Games is Australian Olympic legend Ariarne Titmus, who has very strong feelings about the event and how it impacts the sport.
While a guest on the Will & Woody Podcast, Titmus was immediately asked about her thoughts on the Enhanced Games, to which, in little to no time at all, she replied that the event makes her “blood boil”.
“Frankly, it makes my blood boil. I really despise what they’re doing here. I think it undermines everything that sport is.” Titmus said on the Podcast. ” The values we teach our kids about sport, the community that sports provides, determination, chasing your dreams, hard work. But most of all, like our bodies aren’t a science experiment.”
Titmus, who retired from competition in October of 2025, was adamant that this event would not last, and the financial incentives, while enticing, would never have been enough to pull her over to the Enhanced Games.
“I just think what they’re showcasing is not going to last. I think that the values of sport will prevail. I think the saddest thing is that athletes that might be enticed by the financial offering…” Titmus said. “I think there are a lot of people that are going to consider that incentive, but for myself, they could offer me unlimited money, and I would never, ever be involved in that.”
She expands on her statement, saying that she wants the sport to be accessible and wants the world to have the opportunities within the sport, and hopes that this “dies off.”
“I think the offering of sport to the globe, giving every country across Earth opportunities. to compete. That’s what the Olympic movement is.” Titmus said on the Will & Woody Podcast. ” It’s backed by a lot of wealthy people, but, I don’t think any broadcaster in their right mind is going to broadcast it or give it the airspace that it needs. So I do hope that it dies off.”
The show on which Titmus was speaking was also the same show that fellow Australian swimmer, turned Enhanced athlete, James Magnussen, famously claimed he was “juiced to the gills” when discussing the Enhanced Games. Titmus did not shy away from talking about Magnussen, who finished 4th in both the 50 free and 100 free, still earning a $100,000 payday from the Enhanced Games.
When asked if she had spoken to Magnussen since the Enhanced Games, she replied quickly, “No, I haven’t.”
“I haven’t spoken to him and look, props to him for saying someone was to offer me a million dollars, go and get juiced up and try, try and break the world record. I’ll do it. And he stuck to it.” Titmus said. He didn’t chicken out. But, frankly, I think the offering that they showed, the quality of performance was pretty average.
When listening to the interview, you can hear the frustrated tone of Titmus when talking about the Enhanced Games, going as far as to say that in addition to the super suits and enhancements, they may as well “put fins on.”
“I was going to say that, they may as well put fins on, fins and paddles, seriously,” Titmus added. “They’re carrying on like they had, you know, changed the globe, but you know, they’ve got every single enhancement under the sun.I mean, I’m very great mates with Cam McEvoy and I just cannot wait to see him go out there… have a normal legal suit on, and 100% know that he is going to break this record again.”
“Boiling blood” is also a common side effect of many of the Enhanced Games protocols.
She’s so iconic
I get the hate for sport and enhancement/pharma side. But I will never hate on an athlete getting paid what they deserve. She is one of the more fortunate athletes who could make a decent living of swimming.
Well said! 👏👏👏