James Magnussen willing to swim at the ‘Enhanced Games’

Former champion swimmer James Magnussen has accepted the challenge to compete for a $1.5 million bounty* in the Enhanced Games – which will allow performance enhancing* drugs.

Magnussen has confirmed he will undertake a supplements* programs to try and break the

world record in the 50 metre freestyle.

If he does he will land a US$1million prize, which is just over $1.54 million Australian dollars.

Magnussen laid down the challenge to Enhanced Games founder Aron D’Souza, but it is unclear where or when the games will be staged.

US billionaire* Peter Thiel is throwing his financial support behind an “Olympics on steroids*” — whose organiser boasts that athletes will dope “out in the open and honestly.”

Thiel, who made his fortune as an early investor in tech start-ups like PayPal and Facebook, is backing the Enhanced Games, which will actively encourage athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs.

The venture* — aimed at aiding research into nutritional supplements that push the boundaries of human performance — is the brainchild of Dr. Aron D’Souza. He plans to provide more details on April 17 and promote the controversial* concept in Paris during the Summer Olympics, which begin in July.

Thiel is among several high-profile venture capitalists* who have backed the project.

D’Souza would not reveal how much money was raised, saying it was in the “high single-digit millions” — a sum that is “enough to produce the first games.”

D’Souza said that Enhanced Games are negotiating* with several host cities though he declined to specify which venue will host the inaugural competition, which he expects to get underway by the middle of next year.

The competition will feature five events — swimming, gymnastics, weightlifting, track and field, and combat — and will be held once a year at already-existing venues.

He said the idea behind Enhanced Games is to allow athletes to use whatever substances they wish “out in the open and honestly” — unlike at the Olympics, where “44 per cent of Olympians admit to using banned substance while only one per cent get caught.”

“My body, my choice, your body, your choice,” D’Souza said when asked about the philosophy* behind allowing athletes to use banned substances*.

He said that the events are open to any athletes — current and former professionals and amateurs — and that allowing them to enhance their performance with substances will enable researchers to get a better idea of what technologies are out there that can boost longevity* and “healthy ageing.”

“We think that this will create conditions by which we will get a much larger data pool of athletes and individuals who are aspiring to self improvement through science,” D’Souza said.

He said that the data would be “very useful to determining compounds* and therapies to extend human life.”

Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, the Russian anti-doping* whistleblower* who exposed the country’s state-sponsored* doping program, called the idea a “danger to health, to sport.”

Anna Meares, a former Olympic gold medallist who serves as Australia’s Olympic chef de mission* for the Paris Summer Games called the Enhanced Games “a joke”.

“Unfair, unsafe — I just don’t think this is the right way to go about sport,” she said.

GLOSSARY

• bounty: a reward or prize
• performance enhancing: athletic performance improved by taking an illegal drug
• supplements: additional substances taken to improve health or performance
• venture: a new business or project that involves risk
• billionaire: a person who has at least a billion dollars or pounds
• steroids: illegal drugs that mimic the effects of naturally occurring hormones in the body
• start-ups: newly established companies, especially in the tech industry
• controversial: causing disagreement or debate
• venture capitalists: investors who provide financial capital to start-up companies
• negotiating: to discuss or bargain to reach an agreement
• inaugural: the first instance of something, especially a ceremony or competition
• philosophy: a set of beliefs or principles guiding behaviour
• substances: chemicals or drugs
• longevity: long life or duration
• compounds: substances formed by a chemical combination to produce drugs
• anti-doping: efforts taken to prevent the use of banned substances or methods to enhance athletic performance in sports.
• whistleblower: a person who exposes wrongdoing or illegal activity within an organisation
• state-sponsored: supported or funded by a government
• chef de mission: the head of a national Olympic delegation

EXTRA READING

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Ariarne Titmus may retired after Paris Olympics

QUICK QUIZ

1. What is the prize James Magnussen is competing for in the Enhanced Games?
2. How does Magnussen plan to try and break the world record in the 50-meter freestyle?
3. Who is behind the Enhanced Games and what is their goal?
4. What are some of the concerns raised by individuals such as Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov and Anna Meares about the Enhanced Games?
5. How does Aron D’Souza justify the concept of allowing athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs openly in the Enhanced Games?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Questioning the subject
In Australia, sportspeople are often looked upon as role models. With this in mind – if you could interview James Magnussen about his intention to compete in the Enhanced Games, what would you want to ask him? Make a list of 5 questions that you think could help you to better understand his desire to compete.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Health and Physical Education; Ethical Understanding

2. Extension
What do you and the students in your class think about the concept of the Enhanced Games? Create a vox pop to share your opinions.

Note: Vox pop means “voice of the people” and is a short video of clips of the public giving their opinions on a topic. They are often seen on news programs.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Ethical Understanding, ICT Capability

VCOP ACTIVITY
WOW word explorer challenge: “Magnussen’s mission”
Objective: Let’s dive into the vocabulary of the article and uncover the meanings of intriguing words.
Instructions:
1. Word search: Find and circle these words in the article. Discuss their meanings as a class.

a. Bounty

b. Supplements

c. Venture capitalists

d. Brainchild

e. Inaugural

f. Philosophy

g. Whistleblower

h. Aspiring

i. Compounds

2. Vocabulary relay: Form two teams. Each team must define one of the challenging words from the list. If they succeed, they earn a point. The team with the most points wins.

3. Word sketch: Ask students to draw a quick sketch or symbol that represents one of the challenging words. They can share their drawings and explain why they chose that representation.

4. Story building: Have students create a short story using as many vocabulary words as possible. The story could revolve around a daring competition or a futuristic sports event. Encourage them to use the words accurately.

5. Sentence builders: Challenge the students to create sentences using the challenging words. Bonus points for using more than one word in a sentence.

6. Vocabulary charades: Write each challenging word on a piece of paper, fold it, and place it in a bowl. One student picks a word and acts it out without speaking. The class guesses the word.

7. Vocabulary recycle: Can you use any of our new wow words in a different sentence that is not related to the article, or can you re-use them when telling someone about the article?

8. Discussion time: Engage the students in a discussion about the article using the new vocabulary. Ask them how these words relate to the story, and encourage them to express their opinions.