Latest news with #BrettHawke
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Steroid Games' boss Aron D'Souza slams ‘bullying' after Aussies banned
The founder of the so-called 'Steroid Games' has launched a stunning attack on the governing body of world swimming. World Aquatics (WA) on Wednesday announced a blanket ban on any competitor or coach that has taken part in the Enhanced Games, the multi-sport event founded by Australian businessman Aron D'Souza. The highly controversial Games enable athletes to take performance enhancing drugs and compete in banned suits and is scheduled to make its debut in Las Vegas next year. Former Australian world champion James Magnussen has become the public face of the Games, while compatriot and ex-swimmer Brett Hawke recently became the head coach of its swimming team. Images of a massively bulked up Magnussen attempting to set a world leading time in the 50m freestyle, and claim a US$1 million prize, shocked the sporting world late last month. Magnussen, Hawke and anyone else associated with the doped up concept have now been banned from any future participation at the Olympics or world championships. D'Souza hasn't taken long to respond to the move, blasting World Aquatics and vowing to take on any legal fight from his athletes in a statement posted on the Enhanced Games website. 'We stand with athletes and their support teams. Always,' the statement reads. 'At the Enhanced Games, athletes have what traditional federations never gave them: choice, fairness and real money. 'We offer a medically supervised, safety-focused, science-driven arena – where performance is rewarded, not policed by outdated ideology. 'This ban isn't about protecting athletes. It's about protecting a monopoly. 'World Aquatics hasn't paid its athletes for decades. Now, faced with real competition and real momentum, they've fallen back on threats and bullying tactics. 'Let's be clear: the real danger to sport isn't science. It's stagnation. 'Enhanced is building a better future – one where athletes are empowered, enhancements are embraced responsibly, and excellence is properly compensated. 'Excellence should always be rewarded and these exceptional athletes deserve exceptional compensation. We'll continue to fight for all athletes to ensure they receive it. 'We will support any natural or enhanced athlete denied the option to make this choice – both by providing them an opportunity to compete and win – or by providing legal counsel against World Aquatics in the case of any challenge.' The concept of an official juiced up competition has captivated – and largely appalled – the sporting world since it became public in 2023. Australian Olympic gold medallists Ariarne Titmus and Cam McEvoy are among athletes that have slammed the idea. The first Enhanced Games are scheduled for May 21-24 next year at Resorts World Las Vegas featuring swimming, track and field and weightlifting. World Aquatics became the first governing body to move on the controversial proposal. 'Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events,' World Aquatics president Husain al-Musallam said in a statement. '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.' WA also encouraged member federations, such as Swimming Australia, to 'adopt similar policies at the national level'. Those that prepare for or take part in the Enhanced Games would also be ineligible to hold any position with the sport's governing body. Magnussen announced earlier this week he will tweak his doping and training regime for the Enhanced Games in a bid to win the revolutionary event after he was pipped in his quest to break the 50m freestyle world record. Magnussen, who has been retired for six years, has been taking a concoction of testosterone and peptides, among other substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), to try to break the 50m freestyle world record. But the 34-year-old nicknamed 'the Missile' watched his dream of winning the US$1 million prize money go up in smoke after another swimmer beat him to it. Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev – aided by undisclosed substances and a polyurethane suit not approved for Olympic use – broke the world record at an Enhanced Games competition pool in North Carolina in February. Gkolomeev swam a time of 20.89 seconds, 0.02sec fastest than the longstanding supersuit world record held by Brazil's Cesar Cielo since the 2009 world championships.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Aussies banned from Olympics over new swimming law
Swimming's governing body has announced a blanket ban on any competitor that has taken part in the so-called 'Steroid Games'. Officially called the Enhanced Games, the multi-sport event founded by Australian businessman Aron D'Souza enables athletes to take performance enhancing drugs and compete in banned suits, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas next year. Former Australian world champion James Magnussen has become the public face of the Games, while compatriot and ex-swimmer Brett Hawke recently became the head coach of the Enhanced Games swimming team. Both will now be banned, effective immediately, from any future participation in swimming events at the Olympics or world championships, after World Aquatics (WA) became the first governing body to move on the controversial proposal. 'Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events,' World Aquatics president Husain al-Musallam said in a statement. '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.' WA also encouraged member federations, such as Swimming Australia, to 'adopt similar policies at the national level'. Those that prepare for or take part in the Enhanced Games would also be ineligible to hold any position with the sport's governing body. Australian swimming great Ariarne Titmus reiterated her stance condemning the juiced up Games on Triple M. 'It doesn't sit well with me,' the four-time Olympic gold medallist said on Mick in the Morning. 'I think about what message is this sending kids around the world? That it's OK to take performance-enhancing drugs? 'I firmly believe that it's not. I don't think it's a good thing to do. We don't know exactly the implications of taking these amounts of performance-enhancing drugs are going to have on our body, and morally, I don't agree with it.' Magnussen announced earlier this week will tweak his doping and training regime for the Enhanced Games in a bid to win the revolutionary event after he was pipped in his quest to break the 50m freestyle world record. The Australian swimmer has been the talk of the sporting world after wild images emerged of his massively bulked up physique standing behind the blocks for his world record attempt. Magnussen, who has been retired for six years, has been taking a concoction of testosterone and peptides, among other substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), to try to break the 50m freestyle world record. But the 34-year-old nicknamed 'the Missile' watched his dream of winning the US$1 million prize money go up in smoke after another swimmer beat him to it. Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev – aided by undisclosed substances and a polyurethane suit not approved for Olympic use – broke the world record at an Enhanced Games competition pool in North Carolina in February. Gkolomeev swam a time of 20.89 seconds, 0.02sec fastest than the longstanding supersuit world record held by Brazil's Cesar Cielo since the 2009 world championships. A documentary crew, who many believed were only there to witness Magnussen shattering the elusive record, instead captured 31-year-old Gkolomeev's incredible swim resulting in a $1m windfall, just months after he finished fifth in the 50m final at the Paris Olympics. But Magnussen will get another chance to claim the $1m payday he so craves at the inaugural Enhanced Games next year. D'Souza has said the million-dollar prize will still on the table at the official Enhanced Games, which will take place from May 21-24 next year at Resorts World Las Vegas, with events in swimming, athletics and weightlifting. Hawke is a two-time Olympian and medallist at the Commonwealth Games and shortcourse world championships during his career in the pool. He was recently the head coach of singer-turned-swimmer Cody Simpson during his comeback to the sport. The 50-year-old Hawke was appointed the head swimming coach of the Enhanced Games last month and has been flooding his Instagram page with videos and content on the concept. He captioned one post: 'Just the suit and enhancements? Look deeper. You need skill and talent to swim faster than anyone in history.'
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Enhanced Games claims former Olympic swimmer broke two world records ahead of controversial launch
The Enhanced Games — a newly-formed competition which encourages use of performance-enhancing drugs — has claimed Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev set two 50m freestyle world records. The controversial organisation, which has been financed by a venture capital fund backed by Donald Trump Jr and billionaire Peter Thiel since it was founded by Australian entrepreneur and lawyer Aron D'Souza in 2023, announced on Wednesday its inaugural Enhanced Games would take place in Las Vegas in May 2026. Moments later, it said Gkolomeev had broken the long-standing 50m freestyle world record of 20.91, set by Brazilian Cesar Cielo in 2009. Gkolomeev, 31, finished fifth in the event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In January, he began taking performance-enhancing drugs and started receiving coaching from Australian Brett Hawke, who worked with Cielo when he set the world record. The Enhanced Games said Gkolomeev had become the 'fastest swimmer in history' by posting a time of 20.89s in a 50m freestyle time trial. He recorded the time in a full-length polyurethane suit, banned weeks after Cielo set the world record while wearing one. It then claimed Gkolomeev — now wearing 'jammers', shorts which comply with World Aquatics' regulations — had also broken American Caeleb Dressel's world record under current regulations (21.04s) set in 2019. Advertisement Gkolomeev earned a $1,000,000 bonus by setting the time, beating 34-year-old Australian James Magnussen to the prize money. The former world champion came out of retirement to begin his involvement with the Enhanced Games last year, finishing second with a time of 22.73s. Gkolomeev said the Enhanced Games gave him the opportunity to 'unlock a new level of performance', adding he gained 'an extra 10lbs of lean muscle' which meant he had to get used to his 'new strength and weight in the water'. The Enhanced Games did not disclose what drugs were used for personal confidentiality reasons and to avoid potential unsupervised usage, but said substances were prescribed 'medically and legally.' 🏆 FASTEST SWIMMER IN HISTORY 🇬🇷🇧🇬 Kristian Gkolomeev breaks:🏊♂️ 50m Freestyle World Record⏱️ 20.89 seconds💰 $1,000,000 Prize 🇧🇷 Breaks Cesar Cielo's 2009 record (20.91) — Enhanced Games (@enhanced_games) May 21, 2025 Ukrainian 33-year-old Andrii Govorov, the 50m butterfly world record holder, also joined the Enhanced Games, alongside Bulgarian Josif Miladinov, 21. The Enhanced Games has previously made its stance clear that it is 'separate and independent from the Olympics, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and the USOPC (United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee),' but has attracted criticism from several high-profile bodies. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in March described the Enhanced Games as a 'dangerous and irresponsible project,' which 'jeopardizes' the health and well-being of its athletes. Meanwhile, Travis Tygart — CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) — told CNN the Enhanced Games is a 'clown show' and 'not real sport.' Brent J. Nowicki, executive director of World Aquatics and a former managing counsel and head of the antidoping division at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, told the New York Times the Enhanced Games are 'a farce, and an extremely dangerous one.' Advertisement 'My view is that anybody who takes part in this event should never be allowed to be involved in any sport ever again,' he said. 'It cuts against everything that we are trying to prevent.' The Athletic has contacted the Enhanced Games and World Aquatics for comment. The 2026 Enhanced Games in Las Vegas are set to be hosted across three days with swimming, track and field and weightlifting events. It is incentivising potential participants with the promise that 'those who set new enhanced world records (are) eligible for million-dollar prizes'. More prize categories are due to be announced 'in the coming months.' 'Athletes can choose to compete as natural or enhanced, and may continue to be WADA compliant,' the organizers add. 'It is their choice — as it should be.' (Photo of Kristian Gkolomeev at the Paris Games in 2024, Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)
