The inaugural edition of the Enhanced Games has garnered much attention this week, with several key announcements put out on the news waves.
Among the details revealed in just the past few days, we’ve learned the following:
- Brett Hawke was named head swimming coach
- Las Vegas was announced as the initial host, with the competition scheduled for May 23-25, 2026 at Resorts World Las Vegas
- A $1 million award will go to new world records in the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter dash, and $250,000 will be awarded for all other world records
- Andrii Govorov, the Ukrainian world record holder, said he will be competing
- Greek Olympian Kristian Gkolomeev went under the world record in the men’s 50 freestyle (LCM) during filming for the Enhanced Games’ documentary
- Aussie Olympic multi-medalist James Magnussen detailed the effects of using performance-enhancing drugs
Regarding the final bullet point involving Magnussen, one of his Aussie teammates has since spoken out about the Enhanced Games, with reigning 50m free Olympic champion Cameron McEvoy voicing his disapproval.
“It doesn’t count in any way, shape or form when you take drugs or wear one of the banned suits, or both,” 31-year-old McEvoy told The Age this week.
“It’s got no relevance to Olympic or World Championship 50-metre comps, or to the international rankings around them.”
McEvoy continued, “Another angle that concerns me is the unknown potential cost this has to the athletes long-term,” McEvoy said. “I understand there are some measures being put in place around the safety of those athletes throughout this process.
“But there are long-term negative health effects associated with maximised PEDs [performance-enhancing drugs] and further still, a lot of unknowns around just how serious those effects are.
“Humans in the past have underestimated what they don’t yet fully understand. For example, a quick look at the early misuse of radioactive materials serves as a warning. I am by no means an expert, but it seems unwise to think that in this context the prioritisation of performance over safety is immune to this same hubris.”
In the same article, Magnussen responded to McEvoy’s comments, replying, “If I was Cam, and I was going to be able to put a suit on and race for $US1 million [$ 1.56 million] – plus be paid as an athlete – for me, it would be a no-brainer.
“At this point for Cam, he sees it like a sideshow. If you stayed in the testing pool the whole time [by continually agreeing to take drug tests], then it shouldn’t be an issue. It seems like a free hit.” (The Age)
Magnussen and McEvoy represented Australia on the international circuit for a number of years and were both members of the nation’s bronze medal-earning men’s 4x100m free relay at the 2016 Olympic Games.
We reported how the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) vehemently disagrees with the concept of the Enhanced Games and is concerned for the long-term health of the athletes taking part.
“WADA condemns the Enhanced Games as a dangerous and irresponsible concept and is very concerned about its emergence,” WADA said in the statement. “The health and well-being of athletes is WADA’s number-one priority.”
I mean, it does certainly count in SOME way.
Just like a swim without blocks would be slower, or a swim with fins on would be faster – you just gotta contextualize them.
Up to you how you scale it, I guess. But it certainly happened, in some sense. (Do I trust they didn’t screw with the pool or timing system or everything else about it?? Nope! Just another aspect to take into consideration.)
The 20.89 was a great swim caught on camera, that’s it. I still 100% view the 20.91 as the WR. Again, great swim for Gkolomeev, for real, but it’s in no way “historic”.
In one race you can win a million dollars. Cash counts. I would do it for the money. Swimming is NOT 100% clean. At least Enhanced athletes are following the rules.
This is what is so annoying. The million is not worth much to the organizers, but it is life-changing money for most. So they dangle these prizes for now and get athletes and spectators alike to talk about how great of an opportunity this is. In reality, they are putting up just enough money to legitimize their enterprise. You have no shot at $1M. Magnussen has very little shot at the $1M. The guy who got it was an Olympic finalist less than a year ago.
They’re pumping in just enough money to make guys like you carry the water for them, and they’re going to make it back and more convincing recreational athletes to sign up for their telehealth… Read more »
Cam should just let his swimming do the talking and not bite off on the distraction…unless he’s angling for a hyped up big pay day in some match races with the villains…iiit’s SHOWTIME!
Match race them clean and win would be kinda badass. However with Gkolomeev already beating Cam’s PB in a time trial that seems unlikely to work out in Cam’s favour. Unless Gkolomeev chokes it’s not realistic for Cam to beat him while he is doping.
Cam’s the Olympic gold medalist though so he should be set anyway but I can see why the enhanced games appeals to guys who never made it to the top.
Given that some portion of the current field would be doping already I’m more willing to believe that there was some sort of timing error that turned an already really fast swim into 20.89 than that he has been doing this for a couple months and is already going 0.8 seconds faster than he did in Paris.
Gkolomeev had to do 4 swims to hit that time. In a set up just for him. Really doubt that he would beat Cam in a televised live event with stakes and pressure. There is a reason why he didn’t medal last summer.
I’m glad to see this seems just as unpopular in non swimming circles as swimming ones.
The BBC reportes on this when it happened and the comments speak for themselves
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/swimming/articles/c629996lnkro.amp
Way to kill your brand, Brett!!
Don’t count but not invisible eh…
Anyone seen the comments under Cesar’s post about how he’s the best 50m freestyler and how he needs to respond to what the enhanced game people are doing and he’s liking a bunch of the comments. Can’t imagine he’s very pleased with his former coach, but I think I remember reading a while ago their relationship hasn’t exactly been the best
He’s got no right to talk though, does he.