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Times
a day ago
- Climate
- Times
England stars take ‘digital pills' to measure how bodies react to heat
It is the goal of every manager to know what is going on inside their players — and Thomas Tuchel has taken his famous attention to detail to new levels by giving England's stars biometric pills to swallow which measure the internal temperatures of their bodies in extreme heat. The tablets featured in a series of tests conducted earlier in the week at a training camp near Girona in Spain, aimed at understanding how the England squad are likely to cope with the boiling conditions expected at next summer's World Cup. As The Times revealed on Monday, the FA's performance team erected special heat and humidity tents alongside the pitch where the England team has been training. Inside, players have been monitored for how they react when temperatures soar. One test involved each player sitting on an exercise bike and pedalling to the point of exhaustion, having ingested a special pill containing digital technology. After stepping off the bike, the FA sports scientists were able to remotely scan the tablet to gain a precise picture of what internal temperature that player's body reached — and how quickly they were able to cool down. 'It was tough,' Cole Palmer said. 'It was 35, 36C inside the tents and we had to get to a certain watts or something on a bike and maintain it. For 45 minutes.' Concern about the conditions likely in the USA, Mexico and Canada during the World Cup is prominent in Tuchel's thinking. The average daily temperatures during early July in Dallas and Monterrey, both tournament venues, are 35C and 34.4C respectively, while six other venues have average temperatures exceeding 30C. When the World Cup was last played in the USA, in 1994, temperatures at games regularly exceeded 37C, amid a heatwave. Tuchel has said of the 2026 tournament that 'suffering will be one of the headlines' — and he is determined to reduce the impact on players. The tests are in recognition that every individual reacts differently to heat, and the idea to create individualised plans to help players cope. Eberechi Eze also described the experience as gruelling, saying it was the first time he had ever been tested in such a way. 'It was taking those tablets on the bike, and then you had to be on the bike for about 45 minutes and you just had to keep going, they monitored your heart rate, they monitored your actual temperature and stuff like that, to get more understanding,' Eze said. 'Of course it was quite difficult and 45 minutes is a long time on a bike but it was something that was definitely helpful, and I think it was a bit of insight into yourself and how you will cope in those situations. '[The tablet] was something that they would use to actually monitor your core temperature, so they would be understanding how hot you were whilst you were doing the training, which was interesting.' Eze reflected on an extraordinary personal end to the season, when he rode a rich streak of form that began with scoring his first goal for England, against Latvia at Wembley in March. That strike raised his confidence to new levels, he said, sparking a run of goals and assists that led to him to scoring the winner for Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. That gave Palace the first major trophy in their history and earned the club a place in the Europa League — which is now in doubt because of Uefa rules governing multi-club ownership. John Textor, who controls around 45 per cent of Palace, also owns 90 per cent of Lyon and is trying to sell his Palace stake to ensure Palace are not barred from playing in Europe. 'I don't know a lot about it but I really hope that it's not the case and I hope Palace do get the reward because of what it took to actually achieve it. It would be a huge shame if that was the case, but I'm trusting it will work out in the end,' Eze said. 'There's players who have worked to be in this position. There are fans who have been with the team throughout the season and experienced everything. 'It would be unfortunate [if Palace are barred from Europe] but I'm positive it won't be the case.'
Japan Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
Enhanced Games, where athletes can use banned substances, to start in 2026
The Enhanced Games have set the inaugural competition for May 2026 in Las Vegas, with swimming, athletics and weightlifting on the agenda for athletes using substances banned in official competition to the consternation of anti-doping bodies. Basking in Las Vegas' neon glow at the launch, founder Aron D'Souza on Wednesday urged athletes to take a gamble on the novel competition that he believes can transform sports science but that critics deride as a freak show. Organizers touted what they believe to be their biggest success story so far: Kristian Gkolomeev, a Greek swimmer who never made the podium in four Olympics but surpassed one of his sport's great achievements under the Enhanced Games program. Gkolomeev swam two-hundredths of a second faster than the 50-meter freestyle world record that has stood for more than 15 years, clocking 20.89 seconds in February with an inline full-body open water suit that falls outside World Aquatics standards. "I'm kind of like the driver in the car, but I need the team behind me," Gkolomeev, who finished fifth in the event at the Paris Games, said ahead of the Las Vegas event. Organizers have held the 31-year-old up as an example of what can be possible under their regime while declining to disclose which "performance enhancements" he used, citing medical confidentiality. "He should be retired, but in fact, he's swimming faster than any human being has ever done so," D'Souza said. "Why? Because he used technology and science to enhance his performance. "Once the world realizes that, I think everyone is going to want it. Every middle-aged guy who once played competitive sport and is now suffering from back pain is going to say, 'What is he on and how do I get it?'" The Enhanced Games operate under the principle that banning performance-enhancing drugs in major competition does not protect athletes but rather stifles their performance. "Our project is a lot like Formula One because the research that happens to make Formula One cars drive faster eventually percolates out onto the road," the Australian entrepreneur said. "And in the same way, the science and medicine that is used to make athletes achieve world record performances at increasingly older ages will allow all humans, all of our society to age more healthily and gracefully." Participants could earn prize money totaling up to $500,000 per event, plus bonuses, for surpassing a world record mark. For swimming, the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 50-meter butterfly and 100-meter butterfly are on the agenda. Athletics has the 100-meter sprint along with the 110- and 100-meter hurdles, while weightlifting will feature the snatch and clean and jerk. The World Anti-Doping Agency staunchly opposes the project, warning athletes that they risk bans and their health. The International Federation of Sports Medicine said the project could lead to exploitation of young athletes. "Thinking that because you do medical checks on the spot is going to give you a good idea of the health risks of abuse of doping substances, again, is medical and scientific nonsense," World Anti-Doping Agency Science Director Olivier Rabin said. "It's like the Roman circus, you know, you sacrifice the lives of people purely for entertainment. What's the value of this? I don't think any responsible society should move in that direction." D'Souza argues that doping in professional and amateur sport is rampant despite efforts to eliminate the use of banned substances, leading to it being done secretly and unsafely. "Instead, at Enhanced Games, we're reversing that, making it a fair, level, transparent field so that innovation can be illustrated in a very public way to support technological progress," he said. D'Souza announced last year that he had attracted big-name investors in Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel, tech investor Christian Angermayer and former Coinbase Chief Technology Officer Balaji Srinivasan. That year he also signed the first Enhanced Games athlete, retired Australian world champion swimmer James Magnussen, who agreed to take banned performance-enhancing drugs in an attempt to surpass Cesar Cielo's 50-meter freestyle record. Andriy Govorov, the Ukrainian 50-meter butterfly world record holder and world bronze medalist, and 21-year-old Bulgarian swimmer Josif Miladinov, a European silver medalist, joined the Enhanced Games program last month. Magnussen, who had retired from competition in 2019, told reporters that training with Enhanced Games reignited his passion for the sport and that the response from his fellow athletes had been "overwhelmingly positive". "I was waking up each day with an enthusiasm to train, to compete. I felt so healthy, so motivated," he said. "It's honestly the happiest I've been in seven years," he said. "As athletes we have a greater risk appetite than the general population and see an event like the Enhanced Games as an opportunity." The 2026 Enhanced Games are set for Las Vegas from May 21-24.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Enhanced Games set to launch in Las Vegas in 2026 despite criticism
The Enhanced Games have set their inaugural competition for May 2026 in Las Vegas, with swimming, athletics and weightlifting on the agenda for athletes using substances banned in official competition to the consternation of anti-doping bodies. Basking in Las Vegas' neon glow at the launch, founder Aron D'Souza urged athletes to take a gamble on the novel competition that he believes can transform sports science but critics deride as a freak show. Organizers touted what they believe to be their biggest success story so far: Kristian Gkolomeev, a Greek swimmer who never made the podium in four Olympics but surpassed one of his sport's great achievements under the Enhanced Games programme. Gkolomeev swam two hundredths of a second faster than the 50m freestyle official world record that has stood for more than 15 years, clocking 20.89 in February with an inline full-body open water suit that falls outside World Aquatics standards. "I'm kind of like the driver in the car, but I need the team behind me," Gkolomeev, who finished fifth in the event at the Paris Games, said ahead of the Las Vegas event. Enhanced Games have held the 31-year-old up as an example of what can be possible under their regime while declining to disclose which "performance enhancements" he used, citing medical confidentiality. "He should be retired, but in fact, he's swimming faster than any human being has ever done so. Why? Because he used technology and science to enhance his performance," said D'Souza. "Once the world realises that, I think everyone is going to want it. Every middle-aged guy who once played competitive sport and is now suffering from back pain is going to say, 'What is he on and how do I get it?'" The Enhanced Games operate under the principle that banning performance-enhancing drugs in major competition does not protect athletes but rather stifles their performance. "Our project is a lot like Formula 1 because the research that happens to make Formula One cars drive faster eventually percolates out onto the road," the Australian entrepreneur told Reuters. "And in the same way, the science and medicine that is used to make athletes achieve world record performances at increasingly older ages will allow all humans, all of our society to age more healthily and gracefully." Participants could earn prize money totalling up to $500,000 per event plus bonuses for surpassing a world record mark. For swimming, the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly are on the agenda. Athletics has the 100m sprint along with the 110m and 100m hurdles, while weightlifting will feature the snatch and clean and jerk. The World Anti-Doping Agency staunchly opposes the project, warning athletes that they risk bans and health risks. The International Federation of Sports Medicine said the project could lead to exploitation of young athletes. "Thinking that because you do medical checks on the spot is going to give you a good idea of the health risks of abuse of doping substances, again, is a medical and scientific nonsense," said World Anti-Doping Agency science director Olivier Rabin. "It's like the Roman circus, you know, you sacrifice the lives of people purely for entertainment. What's the value of this? I don't think any responsible society should move in that direction." D'Souza argues that doping in professional and amateur sport is rampant despite efforts to eliminate the use of banned substances, leading to it being done secretly and unsafely. "Instead, at Enhanced Games, we're reversing that, making it a fair, level, transparent field so that innovation can be illustrated in a very public way to support technological progress," he said. D'Souza announced last year that he had attracted big-name investors in Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel, tech investor Christian Angermayer and former Coinbase Chief Technology Officer Balaji Srinivasan. That year he also signed the first Enhanced Games athlete, retired Australian world champion swimmer James Magnussen, who agreed to take banned performance-enhancing drugs in an attempt to surpass Cesar Cielo's 50m freestyle record. D'Souza said he expects to name more potential athletes for the Enhanced Games later on Wednesday. Angermayer said he was eager to confront what he called "wrong stereotypes" around the event and believed athletes would quickly flock to their side. "People always want to sort of pit us against the Olympics, (but) I think we're going to be over time two very different events which can totally, very lovingly coexist with each other," he said. The 2026 Enhanced Games are set for Las Vegas from 21-24 May.
Reuters
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Enhanced Games to launch in 2026, bucking global anti-doping norms
LAS VEGAS, May 21 (Reuters) - The Enhanced Games have set their inaugural competition for May 2026 in Las Vegas, with swimming, athletics and weightlifting on the agenda for athletes using substances banned in official competition to the consternation of anti-doping bodies. Basking in Las Vegas' neon glow at the launch, founder Aron D'Souza on Wednesday urged athletes to take a gamble on the novel competition that he believes can transform sports science but critics deride as a freak show. Organizers touted what they believe to be their biggest success story so far: Kristian Gkolomeev, a Greek swimmer who never made the podium in four Olympics but surpassed one of his sport's great achievements under the Enhanced Games programme. Gkolomeev swam two hundredths of a second faster than the 50m freestyle official world record that has stood for more than 15 years, clocking 20.89 in February with an inline full-body open water suit that falls outside World Aquatics standards. "I'm kind of like the driver in the car, but I need the team behind me," Gkolomeev, who finished fifth in the event at the Paris Games, said ahead of the Las Vegas event. Enhanced Games have held the 31-year-old up as an example of what can be possible under their regime while declining to disclose which "performance enhancements" he used, citing medical confidentiality. "He should be retired, but in fact, he's swimming faster than any human being has ever done so. Why? Because he used technology and science to enhance his performance," said D'Souza. "Once the world realizes that, I think everyone is going to want it. Every middle-aged guy who once played competitive sport and is now suffering from back pain is going to say, 'What is he on and how do I get it?'" The Enhanced Games operate under the principle that banning performance-enhancing drugs in major competition does not protect athletes but rather stifles their performance. "Our project is a lot like Formula One because the research that happens to make Formula One cars drive faster eventually percolates out onto the road," the Australian entrepreneur told Reuters. "And in the same way, the science and medicine that is used to make athletes achieve world record performances at increasingly older ages will allow all humans, all of our society to age more healthily and gracefully." Participants could earn prize money totalling up to $500,000 per event plus bonuses for surpassing a world record mark. For swimming, the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly and 100m butterfly are on the agenda. Athletics has the 100m sprint along with the 110m and 100m hurdles, while weightlifting will feature the snatch and clean and jerk. The World Anti-Doping Agency staunchly opposes the project, warning athletes that they risk bans and health risks. The International Federation of Sports Medicine said the project could lead to exploitation of young athletes. "Thinking that because you do medical checks on the spot is going to give you a good idea of the health risks of abuse of doping substances, again, is a medical and scientific nonsense," said World Anti-Doping Agency science director Olivier Rabin. "It's like the Roman circus, you know, you sacrifice the lives of people purely for entertainment. What's the value of this? I don't think any responsible society should move in that direction." D'Souza argues that doping in professional and amateur sport is rampant despite efforts to eliminate the use of banned substances, leading to it being done secretly and unsafely. "Instead, at Enhanced Games, we're reversing that, making it a fair, level, transparent field so that innovation can be illustrated in a very public way to support technological progress," he said. D'Souza announced last year that he had attracted big-name investors in Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel, tech investor Christian Angermayer and former Coinbase Chief Technology Officer Balaji Srinivasan. That year he also signed the first Enhanced Games athlete, retired Australian world champion swimmer James Magnussen, who agreed to take banned performance-enhancing drugs in an attempt to surpass Cesar Cielo's 50m freestyle record. D'Souza said he expects to name more potential athletes for the Enhanced Games later on Wednesday. Angermayer said he was eager to confront what he called "wrong stereotypes" around the event and believed athletes would quickly flock to their side. "People always want to sort of pit us against the Olympics, (but) I think we're going to be over time two very different events which can totally, very lovingly coexist with each other," he said. The 2026 Enhanced Games are set for Las Vegas from May 21-24.
