World Aquatics adopts bylaw to stop doping enablers amid Enhanced Games furore
FILE PHOTO: Swimming - European Aquatics Championships - Sports and Recreational Center Milan Gale Muskatirovic, Belgrade, Serbia - June 23, 2024 Gold medallist, Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev poses with his medal on the podium after winning the men's 50m freestyle final REUTERS/Novak Djurovic/File Photo
World Aquatics introduced a new bylaw on Tuesday that will prevent any athlete or official who supports or endorses doping from competing or holding any positions after a Greek swimmer supported by the Enhanced Games 'broke' the world record.
With the help of the controversial programme, Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev swam the men's 50 metres freestyle in 20.89 seconds to shave 0.02 seconds off the long-standing record set by Brazil's Cesar Cielo in 2009.
Gkolomeev, who has competed at four Olympics and came fifth in the event at the Paris Games last year with a time of 21.59 seconds, said he had gained "an extra 10 pounds of muscle" before the attempt.
Enhanced Games had declined to disclose which "performance enhancements" the 31-year-old used.
"Individuals who support, endorse, or participate in sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices ... will not be eligible to hold positions with World Aquatics or to participate in any World Aquatics competitions, events, or other activities," World Aquatics said.
The practices can include either prohibited substances or prohibited methods.
"This ineligibility would apply to roles such as athlete, coach, team official, administrator, medical support staff, or government representative," the governing body added.
The Enhanced Games operate under the principle that banning performance-enhancing drugs in major competitions does not protect athletes but rather stifles their performance, and called on athletes to join the competition.
The World Anti-Doping Agency had condemned the Enhanced Games as "dangerous and irresponsible", while Olympic 50 metres freestyle champion Cam McEvoy said Gkolomeev's time was 'irrelevant' to the sport.
"Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events," World Aquatics president Husain Al Musallam said.
"This new bylaw ensures that we can continue to protect the integrity of our competitions, the health and safety of our athletes, and the credibility of the global aquatics community."
The Enhanced Games have set their inaugural competition for May 2026 in Las Vegas, with swimming, athletics and weightlifting on the agenda. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
29 minutes ago
- Straits Times
About 2,000 gallons of diesel spills in Baltimore waterfront, US officials say
About 2,000 gallons of diesel spills in Baltimore waterfront, US officials say A 2,000-gallon diesel spill that originated at a hospital facility in Baltimore, Maryland, on Wednesday tainted a waterfront in a popular tourist spot in the city, but there was no impact on drinking water in the area, officials said on Thursday. The spill originated from a Johns Hopkins Hospital facility near the marina and was initially estimated at only 100 gallons, the office of Maryland Governor Wes Moore said in a statement. The spill has been contained in the marina in Harbor East, an area roughly 100 by 250 yards, the statement added. Moore's office said that the water in the area had turned red due to dye in the diesel fuel, and that the U.S. Coast Guard was working with a contractor on cleanup efforts. "My team and I are currently onsite at Fells Point, where there's been an oil spill of unknown origins," Moore said in a post on X earlier on Wednesday, before the origin of the spill was identified. Fells Point is a historic, waterfront neighborhood in the city. Johns Hopkins Hospital was engaged in response, according to the governor's statement. The hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
30 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Soccer-Guardiola dreams of World Cup glory but has no plans to leave City anytime soon
Soccer Football - Reuters Exclusive interview with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola - Barcelona, Spain - June 4, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola talks during an interview with Reuters TV in Barcelona REUTERS/Nacho Doce Soccer Football - Reuters Exclusive interview with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola - Barcelona, Spain - June 4, 2025 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola talks during an interview with Reuters TV in Barcelona REUTERS/Nacho Doce Soccer-Guardiola dreams of World Cup glory but has no plans to leave City anytime soon BARCELONA -Pep Guardiola has no plans to leave Manchester City anytime soon but the Spaniard has often thought about what it would be like to guide an international team and says he would love to take on the challenge of a World Cup or Euros campaign. "I would love to be in a World Cup, in a Euro, a Copa America,' Guardiola told Reuters in an exclusive interview. 'I have always thought about it. But it depends on many, many things. If it happens, it's fine. If it doesn't happen, it's more than fine as well." After winning 12 domestic top-flight titles across Spain, Germany and England, Guardiola endured a trophyless campaign with City last season, a shock to the system after so much success. While he came in for some stinging criticism over his elite squad's failure on all fronts, Guardiola said he was not interested in "proving the haters wrong' when City start afresh next season. "It's to prove myself that I can do it, I don't want to have those feeling that last season left' he added. "Because when we win, the wine tastes better afterwards, you sleep better. I don't know a manager who loses games and sleeps like a baby. It doesn't happen. You've got to worry. That's part of our life." Top of Guardiola's 'to-do list' is to win another Champions League with City and should they cross paths once more with Real Madrid, his nemesis Carlo Ancelotti will not be in the opposing dugout after the Italian took charge of Brazil. Mere mention of Ancelotti's departure was enough to put a smile on Guardiola's lips. The pair faced each other five times in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, with the Italian coming out on top in all but one. "I'm so happy for him,' Guardiola said. "But I'm so happy that he's not in Madrid anymore because all the time he beats me. That I don't have to handle it anymore." The Spaniard added that it was unrealistic to expect him to win everything every year, and said that even the most successful athletes lose more than they win. "I won 12 domestic leagues in 16 years. It's not bad, I would say. But you cannot win all the time. I cannot win the Champions League all the time," he added. "Michael Jordan, the best athlete I've ever seen in my life won six NBA Championships in 15 years. Tiger Woods, one incredible golf player, Jack Nicklaus, I don't know how many he has. But they lost more Grand Slams than they won. It happens." Enjoying a short holiday in Barcelona, Guardiola said he is just trying to live a "normal life" before football pulls him back in, with City set to play in the revamped Club World Cup in the United States from June 14 to July 13. 'Wake up later and don't be with the players. Try to live what would be a normal life,' Guardiola said. 'Go to a concert, lay down on the sofa, read books. I can play golf when my body allows me. Watch series that people suggest to me during the season to watch, like I'm not able to do. "And I want to tell you something. Usually, I'm going to do the same things as you do in your life.' REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
44 minutes ago
- Straits Times
OpenAI finds more Chinese groups using ChatGPT for malicious purposes
FILE PHOTO: A response in Chinese by ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, is seen on its website in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo SAN FRANCISCO - OpenAI is seeing an increasing number of Chinese groups using its artificial intelligence technology for covert operations, which the ChatGPT maker described in a report released Thursday. While the scope and tactics employed by these groups have expanded, the operations detected were generally small in scale and targeted limited audiences, the San Francisco-based startup said. Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, there have been concerns about the potential consequences of generative AI technology, which can quickly and easily produce human-like text, imagery and audio. OpenAI regularly releases reports on malicious activity it detects on its platform, such as creating and debugging malware, or generating fake content for websites and social media platforms. In one example, OpenAI banned ChatGPT accounts that generated social media posts on political and geopolitical topics relevant to China, including criticism of a Taiwan-centric video game, false accusations against a Pakistani activist, and content related to the closure of USAID. Some content also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, generating X posts, such as "Tariffs make imported goods outrageously expensive, yet the government splurges on overseas aid. Who's supposed to keep eating?". In another example, China-linked threat actors used AI to support various phases of their cyber operations, including open-source research, script modification, troubleshooting system configurations, and development of tools for password brute forcing and social media automation. A third example OpenAI found was a China-origin influence operation that generated polarized social media content supporting both sides of divisive topics within U.S. political discourse, including text and AI-generated profile images. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on OpenAI's findings. OpenAI has cemented its position as one of the world's most valuable private companies after announcing a $40 billion funding round valuing the company at $300 billion. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
