Marius Kusch: A promise for doping games harvested sharp criticism

Swimmer Marius Cuddly is the first German to have his promise for the controversial Enhanced Games given in which world records are also to be set up with the help of doping agents. Sharp criticism from sport and the association followed promptly. “Now is time for a new chapter,” had Cuddly announced on his Instagram channel. “Participation in the Enhanced Games is an opportunity to go to my limits and to compete against some of the best athletes in the world,” said the 2019 short railway champion.

The decision met with negative reactions. For Ex-swimmer Dorothea Brandt is the change of her former teammate something like a betrayal of the ideals of sport. “Somehow it already feels like this. We actually have certain values, certain attitudes-and now someone from this circle who has supported it for years is moving out. This is difficult for me to understand,” said the former active spokeswoman for the German Swimming Association (DSV) of the news agency dpa.

Britta Steffen, double Olympic champion from 2008 in swimming, said when asked by DPA: “Ultimately, such a decision always depends on its own value system.”

After Kusch’s announcement, there was also clear criticism from the CEO of the DSV, Jan Pommer: “The Enhanced Games are diametrically for everything that the sport stands for.” They would mock fairness, health and the right to exist by sport themselves by not only tolerating doping, “but also staging self -optimization option as supposedly autonomously autonomously.

He also referred to the special role model function of athletes, during and also after his career. “If you deliberately turn away from these values, you say goodbye to our swimming sport,” said Pommer and also mentioned the “never fully overview of serious health risks”.

The Enhanced Games are scheduled for the first time in May 2026 in Las Vegas. Three sports are planned: swimming, athletics and weight lifting with selected disciplines. According to the information, each individual event is endowed with prize money of $ 500,000 (around 424,000 euros), $ 250,000 (around 212,000 euros) each get to the winners. In addition, the organizers offer inaugural fees and a million US dollars for times that have not previously run and swam over 50 meters freestyle and the 100 meters in athletics.

The argument of money allows Brandt only to a limited extent in its evaluation. “Anyone who makes competitive sports, especially swimming, knows that you don’t get rich,” said the 2010 short railway champion from 2010. Money is “of course a great motivator,” says Brandt: “But this dark side that I enter is the other perspective.”

The former sprint specialist also sees the Enhanced Games critically from a health perspective. “Is it worth the whole stuff-even if this is monitored by a doctor-nobody knows what happens in ten years. What will happen to you? Then have five years more coal, but then you may be dead in ten years,” said the 41-year-old.

She herself had categorically rejected such a request at active times: “For me it would have been a question of character and I wouldn’t have done it.” Steffen also emphasized: “It would never have been anything for me.”

Brandt also points out that the athletes, which have changed to the Enhanced Games, may be used for marketing purposes. “We are blatant at first, but people are still curious and want to know what happens, how does it work,” she said: “This is how good marketing works.” The Enhanced Games leadership includes the German billionaire Christian Angermayer, including co-founder of a biopharma company, and the Australian Oxford graduate Aron D’Souza.

“I am proud of what I have achieved, but the truth is that sport never gave me the financial stability to build a future. This fact has always been a challenge,” had always Cuddly His step justifies to take part in the Enhanced Games. “I know that this decision will trigger discussions.”

Before Cuddly Among other things, the British swimmer Ben Proud and Sprinter Fred Kerley from the USA announced their participation. Both are already decorated with Olympic and World Cup medals. Kerley was recently missing at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. It was suspended by the independent integrity commission of the World Association. The reason: a violation of reporting obligations.