Latest news with #CamMcEvoy
The Age
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
‘Clowns juggling knives': Clean swimmers face bans if they compete at Enhanced Games
The world's best swimmers have been warned they could face bans from future competitions if they take part in the Enhanced Games - even if they compete clean. World Aquatics, the global governing body for swimming, has likened the proposed event to 'clowns juggling knives' and is threatening to sanction any athlete who takes part, regardless of whether they use performance-enhancing drugs. Two-time Australian Olympian James Magnussen, one of the public faces of the Enhanced Games, has publicly urged reigning Olympic champion Cam McEvoy to race at the inaugural event in Las Vegas next May. The Enhanced Games plans to pit drug-enhanced athletes against clean Olympians — and is offering huge financial incentives to lure them in, including $US1 million ($AUD1.55 million) for breaking the men's 50m freestyle world record. While some athletes may be tempted to race clean under the World Anti-Doping Code, World Aquatics has clarified that doing so may still breach its integrity rules and jeopardise eligibility for sanctioned events such as the world championships or Olympic Games. A World Aquatics spokesperson said: 'All affiliated athletes and coaches are bound by the World Aquatics Integrity Code, which prohibits conduct that could damage the sport's reputation or undermine public confidence in the integrity of aquatics or the fairness of competition. 'All athletes and coaches affiliated with aquatics clubs are subject to comprehensive anti-doping measures through our partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA). This includes both in-and out-of-competition testing, robust intelligence gathering and targeted investigations.' So far, no active swimmer has confirmed their intention to compete at the Enhanced Games, but interest is growing behind the scenes. It comes as recently retired 50m butterfly world record holder Andrii Govorov declared his intention to compete at the Enhanced Games. Govorov has already begun training with Australian coach Brett Hawke in the USA.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Clowns juggling knives': Clean swimmers face bans if they compete at Enhanced Games
The world's best swimmers have been warned they could face bans from future competitions if they take part in the Enhanced Games - even if they compete clean. World Aquatics, the global governing body for swimming, has likened the proposed event to 'clowns juggling knives' and is threatening to sanction any athlete who takes part, regardless of whether they use performance-enhancing drugs. Two-time Australian Olympian James Magnussen, one of the public faces of the Enhanced Games, has publicly urged reigning Olympic champion Cam McEvoy to race at the inaugural event in Las Vegas next May. The Enhanced Games plans to pit drug-enhanced athletes against clean Olympians — and is offering huge financial incentives to lure them in, including $US1 million ($AUD1.55 million) for breaking the men's 50m freestyle world record. While some athletes may be tempted to race clean under the World Anti-Doping Code, World Aquatics has clarified that doing so may still breach its integrity rules and jeopardise eligibility for sanctioned events such as the world championships or Olympic Games. A World Aquatics spokesperson said: 'All affiliated athletes and coaches are bound by the World Aquatics Integrity Code, which prohibits conduct that could damage the sport's reputation or undermine public confidence in the integrity of aquatics or the fairness of competition. 'All athletes and coaches affiliated with aquatics clubs are subject to comprehensive anti-doping measures through our partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA). This includes both in-and out-of-competition testing, robust intelligence gathering and targeted investigations.' So far, no active swimmer has confirmed their intention to compete at the Enhanced Games, but interest is growing behind the scenes. It comes as recently retired 50m butterfly world record holder Andrii Govorov declared his intention to compete at the Enhanced Games. Govorov has already begun training with Australian coach Brett Hawke in the USA.
News.com.au
23-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Australian swimming stars slam ‘juiced up' Enhanced Games farce
Australian swimmers Ariarne Titmus and Cam McEvoy have lashed out at the Enhanced Games in the wake of a world record being broken. The controversial competition was thrust back into the spotlight this week when it was revealed Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev had broken the 50m freestyle world record. Gkolomeev – aided by undisclosed substances and a polyurethane suit not approved for Olympic use – toppled the mark at an Enhanced Games competition pool in North Carolina in February. The 21-year-old touched the wall in 20.89 seconds to beat the 20.91 world record set by Cesar Cielo in 2009 to snare a US$1m (A$1.56m) prize. The record breaking swim, which won't be officially recognised by World Aquatics, didn't sit well with Titmus who said it was deflating for athletes who are following the rules. You can watch Gkolomeev breaking the 50m world record in the player at the top of the page. 'I actually saw that this morning – I've never heard of this guy in my life, but he broke the men's 50m freestyle world record juiced up,' she said on Nova 100's Jase & Lauren. 'I was looking at it on my phone … this is a bit of a kick in the bum to any athlete who's ever worked their whole life to train. 'Everyone's obviously able to have their own opinion, but I don't like it.' An exasperated Titmus added that she and fellow 'clean' athletes have to go through so much and keep in constant communication with drug testers. 'We have to go through so many processes to be clean. All the whereabouts, the drug testing, saying where we sleep every night for the drug testers to arrive,' she said. 'You've got to do so much to make sure you're clean. It's just, I don't know... ' McEvoy, who won the 50m freestyle gold at the Paris Olympics, voiced his concerns over the Enhanced Games and questioned the meaning behind it all. 'It doesn't count in any way, shape or form when you take drugs or wear one of the banned suits, or both,' McEvoy said to The Sydney Morning Herald. 'It's got no relevance to Olympic or World Championship 50-metre comps, or to the international rankings around them.' Retired Australian swimmer James Magnussen, who is the face of the controversial Enhanced Games, famously announced his mission to 'juice to the gills' and win the $1m cash prize by breaking the 50m world record on performance enhancing drugs while appearing on the Hello Sport Podcast. 'If they came to the party with $1 million for the [50m freestyle] world record, I would 100 per cent do it,' Magnussen said last February. The 34-year-old recently called on McEvoy to join him at the inaugural Games which will take place from May 21-24 next year at Resorts World Las Vegas. 'If I was Cam and I was going to be able to put a suit on and race for $US1 million – plus be paid as an athlete – for me it would be a no-brainer,' Magnussen said in an interview with The Age. 'I get it. The Olympics is the pinnacle of our sport at the moment and it's what we all strive towards. At this point for Cam, he sees it like a sideshow. People will realise that Enhanced Games is the real deal. 'It's happening. It's not just hypothetical. The money's there. There will be a flood of athletes coming over in year two.' Around 100 athletes are expected to compete at the inaugural event next year, with many competitors' names kept secret until closer to the event. The Enhanced Games plans to pay $US250,000 for each gold medal and $US1 million to anyone who breaks a world record in the 100m sprint or the 50m freestyle. The Games will have four swimming events, the 50m and 100m freestyle and the 50m and 100m butterfly. While in athletics there will be the 100m sprint and 100m hurdles. Athletes can choose to remain 'natural' or enhance their performance with substances – under the watchful eye of Enhanced Games medical staff. 'The Enhanced Games welcomes athletes across three categories: natural athletes, independently enhanced athletes, and athletes enhanced through protocols designed and supervised by our medical team,' Aron D'Souza said in a statement announcing the Games on Thursday (AEST). 'We live in a world transformed by science – from vaccines to AI. But sport has stood still. Until today.
Free Malaysia Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Olympic champion McEvoy says Enhanced Games ‘record' meaningless
Cam McEvoy said Kristian Gkolomeev's Enhanced Games 50m freestyle record holds no relevance to Olympic or World Championships. (EPA Images pic) SYDNEY : Olympic 50m freestyle champion Cam McEvoy thinks the record time claimed by Kristian Gkolomeev as part of the Enhanced Games programme, where swimmers are allowed to use banned drugs, is irrelevant to the sport. Enhanced Games organisers announced on Wednesday that Greek Gkolomeev swam the 50m freestyle in 20.89 seconds in February, going faster than Brazilian Cesar Cielo's 2009 world record time of 20.91 and McEvoy's personal best of 21.06. The Australian sprint champion, however, said the fact that Gkolomeev was not only doping but also wearing a body suit of the type banned by World Aquatics in 2010 rendered his time meaningless. 'It doesn't count in any way, shape or form when you take drugs or wear one of the banned suits, or both,' McEvoy told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'It's got no relevance to Olympic or World Championship 50-metre comps, or to the international rankings around them.' World Aquatics has joined the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in condemning the Enhanced Games, describing the organisation as a 'circus, built on short-cuts' in statement released after Wednesday's announcement. Like those bodies, McEvoy said he was concerned about the long-term effects of taking banned substances on the health of swimmers. 'I understand there are some measures being put in place around the safety of those athletes throughout this process,' he told the newspaper. 'But there are long-term negative health effects associated with maximised (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.' The Enhanced Games will hold their inaugural competition in Las Vegas in May next year with swimming, athletics and weightlifting on the schedule. Witness football history in Malaysia as Manchester United take on the Asean All-Stars – it's the clash you can't afford to miss. Book your seat now at before they're gone!
CNA
23-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Olympic champion McEvoy says Enhanced Games 'record' meaningless
SYDNEY :Olympic 50 metres freestyle champion Cam McEvoy thinks the record time claimed by Kristian Gkolomeev as part of the Enhanced Games programme, where swimmers are allowed to use banned drugs, is irrelevant to the sport. Enhanced Games organisers announced on Wednesday that Greek Gkolomeev swam the 50m freestyle in 20.89 seconds in February, going faster than Brazilian Cesar Cielo's 2009 world record time of 20.91 and McEvoy's personal best of 21.06. The Australian sprint champion, however, said the fact that Gkolomeev was not only doping but also wearing a body suit of the type banned by World Aquatics in 2010 rendered his time meaningless. "It doesn't count in any way, shape or form when you take drugs or wear one of the banned suits, or both," McEvoy told the Sydney Morning Herald. "It's got no relevance to Olympic or World Championship 50-metre comps, or to the international rankings around them." World Aquatics has joined the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in condemning the Enhanced Games, describing the organisation as a "circus, built on short-cuts" in statement released after Wednesday's announcement. Like those bodies, McEvoy said he was concerned about the long-term effects of taking banned substances on the health of swimmers. "I understand there are some measures being put in place around the safety of those athletes throughout this process," he told the newspaper. "But there are long-term negative health effects associated with maximised (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." The Enhanced Games will hold their inaugural competition in Las Vegas in May next year with swimming, athletics and weightlifting on the schedule.
