Former Australian swimming star James Magnussen will start a program of performance-enhancing supplements in the quest to break the 50m world record and win $1.5m after accepting a challenge from the founder of the Enhanced Games.
The Games were founded by Australian Aron D’Souza, who confirmed on Friday that he would guarantee the prize, with the timing for the event yet to be confirmed.
D’Souza launched his vision for the Enhance Games that would allow competitors to compete without drug testing, adamant many of the world’s best athletes already use “performance enhancements”.
“It is time to safely celebrate science,” the Enhance Games website reads.
“Sports can be safer without drug testing.”
Magnussen, who retired from swimming in 2019 having won Olympic and world championship medals, said he would do his research and undertake a supplement program that would allow him to pursue the record “safely, properly” and create “an athlete we haven’t seen before”.
“I thought it was an interesting concept when I first heard it … we’re pretty aware as Olympians in Australia that there is performance enhancements going on in other countries. Australia is well known for being one of if not the cleanest in the Olympic Games,” Magnussen said.
“But it’s not a level playing field internationally and we know that … I thought for the right price this would be a very interesting pursuit.”
As for his supplement program, Magnussen said he’d follow expert advice.
“I want to approach this the right way, I want to go to America, I want to get the right advice and take the right supplements,” he said.
“I don’t know much about that world, so I want to do my research and have the right team behind me and with the help of Aron, I’d like to document it through video form. Show how it can be done safely, properly and create an athlete we haven’t seen before.”
D’Souza told SEN that athletes like Magnussen “deserved millions for the extraordinary feats they have accomplished and we are willing to do so”.
