Fury after three-time Olympic swimming medallist is offered $1m to break records while ‘juiced to the gills’
THE MOST powerful man in swimming has slammed plans to set a world speed record in the pool while using performance-enhancing drugs.
Australian James Magnussen, a retired three-time Olympic swimming medallist, has been offered $1million to break the men’s 50 metres freestyle mark while he is “juiced to the gills”.
The Enhanced Games is a controversial new event that, in the name of science and research, will encourage athletes to take drugs to push the limits of human physical endeavour.
Seb Coe, the president of World Athletics, branded the concept as “b*******” and there are genuine concerns about the health implications of any willing participants.
World Aquatics CEO Brent Nowicki, a lawyer with extensive anti-doping experience, said: “I think it’s a farce. It’s a joke.
“Look, they have their personal reasons and he’s entitled to his opinion and why he does things.
“It’s extremely short-sighted to tell me that one of the priority reasons behind this is science.
“That’s like vessels that go out into the oceans killing whales for science purposes.
“You can find a lot of smoke and mirrors in this world. This is one of them.
“It takes us back years. It cuts against what we are trying to do.
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“It’s going to potentially give reason to somebody who’s considering doping. They can say: ‘Look it’s safe now, James did it.’
“You can’t sit here and tell me it’s all about research.
“If you want my honest opinion, if you’re going to partake in that activity, you shouldn’t be involved in any sport ever again. You cross that bridge, you don’t come back.”
SunSport understands that World Aquatics will not follow the lead of World Athletics and offer prize money to Olympic champions at the Paris 2024 Games.
The governing body “seriously considered” the option before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but decided to increase cash at their own events instead.