Max McCusker set an Irish record in the 100m butterfly in 2024 and competed at the Paris Olympics. After the Olympics, he retired mainly due to financial reasons and returned to work in the corporate world. A former teammate later contacted him about the inaugural Enhanced Games, where performance-enhancing drugs are allowed. McCusker said he had always been clean, never failed a drug test, and would not even dabble in drugs. He accepted the opportunity because it offered large financial incentives and a chance to compete again, supported in training and preparation. He framed the return as getting back into swimming and maximizing his potential after years honing a specific skill. The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency criticized the games as dangerous and irresponsible.
"Pretty much straight after the Paris Olympics, I retired due to mainly financial reasons, Max tells Nosheen Iqbal. So I just decided that, you know what, I've made my childhood career dream, and I had to go work in the corporate world for a bit."
"Then last year a former teammate contacted him and suggested he should compete in the inaugural Enhanced Games, where performance-enhancing drugs are allowed. I was always clean my whole career. I never failed a drug test. I never would even dabble in it, he says."
"For me, it was getting back into swimming, right? Getting back into something that I loved. And you spend the best part of 15 years, maybe more, of honing a skill that's pretty specific, right? So it's, if someone gives you an opportunity, you're going to be supported for once and in every way, and see what's the most potential you can get out of yourself in this sport."
"The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency has called the games dangerous and irresponsible. The Guardian's chief sports reporter, Sean Ingle, tells Nosheen why."
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]