2024-04-12 18:39:26
James Magnussen was one of the best swimmers in the world for years. His career was actually over, but could now celebrate a controversial comeback.
It has been eleven years since James Magnussen won gold in the 100 meter freestyle at the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona. He also brought home medals at the Olympic Games. In 2012 he won bronze and silver in London and in 2016 bronze in Rio de Janeiro. Three years after finishing third in Brazil, Magnussen ended his career at the age of just 28.
But he hasn’t stopped swimming since then – and recently announced that he would take part in the “Enhanced Games”. A competition that aims to break world records through doping. The “Enhanced Games” will take place next year, and successful top scores will receive 1.5 million US dollars, which is the equivalent of 1.4 million euros.
“It’s a farce”
Brent Nowicki, chairman of the World Aquatics swimming association, sharply criticized Magnussen for this. “It’s a farce. I think it’s a joke,” Nowicki complained. At the same time, he called for Magnussen to be banned from sporting competitions for life: “He should never play sports again if he gets involved in something like that. If you cross this bridge, you can’t come back.”
Three and a half months before the start of the Olympic Games, Nowicki is anything but positive about the “Enhanced Games”: “It may give someone who is thinking about doping a reason to say: ‘Look, it’s safe now. ‘”
That’s why the World Aquatics boss would like Magnussen to withdraw from taking part in the controversial event.