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Enhanced Sports.

I was listening to the news on the radio this morning and heard a story that former Australian swimmer James Magnussen is returning to swimming in the ‘Enhanced games’

https://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/australian-olympic-swimmer-james-magnussen-confirmed-for-enhanced-games/news-story/5af1458677cd222363589c4aec2996c6

Basically, it is an anything goes competition.
Drugs, Supersuits….whatever aid you can get.
Big prizemoney for breaking world bests.
I checked the date.
It’s not April 1st.
My first reaction was WTF. Stupid idiots.

But then I had a think about it.
Was Lance Armstrong the only cyclist using performance enhancers?  Of course, he wasn’t and many of those who finished close behind him were probably similarly doped up. Yet his name is ‘shame’ and others not so much.
I had a look at a ‘shame’ file of track and field athletes who were denied records because of doping infringements. The thing that struck me was that list contained a number of athletes who still hold ‘legitimate’ world records. So, they were caught on some occasions, got away with it on others.
Marita Koch (400 metres) Jarmila Kratochvilova ( 800 metres) hold records that date back to the 1980’s. Both athletes were part of Eastern European regimes where doping was well documented. Florence Griffith Joyner set records that women are still not within ‘cooee’ of achieving.
Some of the men’s throwing records also date back over 40 years
So the whole world record thing in many sports is a farce and not worth a pinch of salt.

The reality is the only true measure of ultimate human ‘achievement’ that can be taken as reliable is, very sadly :( , the records set by the druggies.


Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #1 –
Is it the case that if you compete in these "Enhanced Games" that you can no longer return to the traditional "Natural Games"?

I have to wonder, as an aside to the performance enhancing issues, if these "Enhanced Games" are also the solution avenue for transition athletes.

I'd strongly desire that the "Natural Games' remain as such, no performance enhancing and women vs women, men vs men.

I do suspect the "Enhanced Games" might have a bit of "WWE" about them, it might be ever so slightly scripted, but then again look at the direction of modern TV, MAFS and the like. Fake is the new Real!
The Force Awakens!

Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #2 –
The Enhanced Football League would be intense.
Of course, one club would have a head start. :D

I don't think  you would be able to return to the 'Natural' comps once you competed in the enhanced comp...but the fact remains that many of the current 'natural' world records were set by enhanced athletes anyway. Science is always a step ahead of the testers.

I know that in the past 'sports' like bodybuilding and powerlifting had separate natural and enhanced comps at various levels.

Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Lods on
The Enhanced Football League would be intense.
Of course, one club would have a head start. :D

I don't think  you would be able to return to the 'Natural' comps once you competed in the enhanced comp...but the fact remains that many of the current 'natural' world records were set by enhanced athletes anyway. Science is always a step ahead of the testers.

I know that in the past 'sports' like bodybuilding and powerlifting had separate natural and enhanced comps at various levels.

When I was a powerlifter, our competitions were under the auspices of the "drug-free powerlifting association" or something along those lines.  There were other competitions but they certainly weren't promoted as "enhanced" and were subject to the normal drug testing regime.

Our club trained at Glenferrie Oval after the footballers had left and when the Olympic weightlifters didn't need the gym.  My mate had an arrangement with the Coffa brothers about using the gym and they were worried that the powerlifters may bring drugs and put their weightlifters at risk.  They told my mate, "Any of your boys take drugs and we send someone to hurt you!"  Needless to say, my mate was very careful about who could join the club and regularly warned us what would happen if we were caught with drugs or tested positive.
“Why don’t you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don’t you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don’t you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?”  Oddball

Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #4 –
Plenty of people have suggested in the past that 'the war on drugs' in sport is a losing battle. There will always be someone ahead of the game. Look at AOD xxxx that the bombers admitted to taking, wasn't listed on a banned or approved list because it was too new and hadn't been tested, so was on the S0 - banned until tested list.

So......why bother fighting it at all? Just have everything allowed all of the time. If people want to ruin their lives by injecting steroids and what not, let them.

The 'clean' sides of things is subjective anyway.
This peptide is ok.
This peptide is not.
This peptide used to be ok, but now its not. - I think it was Maria Sharapova that got done for something that she'd been taking for 10 years before it suddently became banned and she didn't realise.

Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #5 –
Quote from: DJC on
When I was a powerlifter, our competitions were under the auspices of the "drug-free powerlifting association" or something along those lines.  There were other competitions but they certainly weren't promoted as "enhanced" and were subject to the normal drug testing regime.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5xkpw/powerlifting-steroid-use-uk

I competed in powerlifting back in the late 70's. There was a fair degree of crossover training with throwers and lifters. In the three years I was competing I was never tested. Testing was infrequent and usually reserved for things like place getters at state and national championships.

Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #6 –
For the most part, I have no problem with it as a sanctioned, specialist event. No holds barred, let em rip I say. Heck, let clean athletes compete against them to answer the age old argument.

The only bit I have a problem with is the fact that I would be endorsing/supporting an unhealthy and dangerous practice (with respect to PED use). It would be like attending a drinking competition where competitors as asked to drink them selves to oblivion, last person standing.
2017-16th
2018-Wooden Spoon
2019-16th
2020-dare to dream? 11th is better than last I suppose
2021-Pi$$ or get off the pot
2022- Real Deal or more of the same? 0.6%
2023- "Raise the Standard" - M. Voss Another year wasted Bar Set
2024-Back to the drawing boardNo excuses, its time

Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Gointocarlton on
For the most part, I have no problem with it as a sanctioned, specialist event. No holds barred, let em rip I say. Heck, let clean athletes compete against them to answer the age old argument.

The only bit I have a problem with is the fact that I would be endorsing/supporting an unhealthy and dangerous practice (with respect to PED use). It would be like attending a drinking competition where competitors as asked to drink them selves to oblivion, last person standing.

There is that moral issue...but in the end it's an individual choice and maybe with a transparent approach the moinitoring of health issues would be a bit more considered.
Magnussen suggests (despite some bravado early on in the article) that it won't just be a "take as much as you can approach" and that there would be a cautious approach.

Quote
Magnussen added he would need to understand much more about steroid use and “take the right supplements”.
“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 supplement,” 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.”

...and speaking from personal experience... running, jumping, lifting and throwing to extremes in your early years often doesn't lead to a pain free and healthy existence in your twilight years. Quite the opposite. :D





Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #8 –
How's this for a perspective.

The Russian peds often get banned the American ones not so much.

Both are cheats just one is in with the governing body and one isn't.
"everything you know is wrong"

Paul Hewson

Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Lods on
https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5xkpw/powerlifting-steroid-use-uk

I competed in powerlifting back in the late 70's. There was a fair degree of crossover training with throwers and lifters. In the three years I was competing I was never tested. Testing was infrequent and usually reserved for things like place getters at state and national championships.

Late 1980s, early 1990s for me and I was never tested even though I jagged a silver at the State titles.  I remember one of my training mates being detained for an hour or so after competing because he couldn’t produce.

Lots of blokes in that scene had unnatural physiques and eyes like pickled onions on a fork.  I was quite proud of what I could achieve without drugs and I think that probably applies to most athletes.
“Why don’t you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don’t you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don’t you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?”  Oddball

Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #10 –
Quote from: DJC on
Lots of blokes in that scene had unnatural physiques and eyes like pickled onions on a fork.  I was quite proud of what I could achieve without drugs and I think that probably applies to most athletes.

That's very true.
It boils down to a choice thing.
I think a lot of athletes who chose to go down the drug route probably justified it by saying to themselves that "everyone else is doing it."
For the 'natural' athlete it can be a little frustrating competing against guys that make a massive improvement in size and performance over an off-season, especially when you've worked your backside off for minor gains.

It's probably worth noting that as Magnussen states in the article....to challenge these records you have a high level of talent and ability anyway.
You can't just walk off the street, dope up, and break world bests.

For the average athlete it may be the difference between competing at 'B' grade level rather than 'C' grade.

Magnussen's bests were set 10 years ago.
Even if he has kept reasonably fit I think he may struggle to even reach his previous levels...but it will be interesting to see.

Re: Enhanced Sports.

Reply #11 –
Age shall not weary them, with the aid of preservatives! ;)

I know body building has this split zone competition for some time, natural versus enhanced. I know some young blokes who coached themselves into the top end of the natural body sculpting categories. They worked damn hard, but for them it was never about money or winning, they did it with a health and fitness mindset, drugs were never an option, these kids wouldn't even eat the fat of a lamb chop because it's no good for you! These kids actually read the pamphlets and ingredients list that come on a bottle of vitamin C tablets! :o

Further more, they did it for no money, there isn't even enough winnings to cover the costs of gym memberships.

As you know I'm a bit negative towards human nature, for me if you give someone the opportunity or motivation to cheat someone will do it, the key to keeping the natural events clean was that there was no money and 100% testing. The only people doing it did so for love of it, cheats had no motivation of opportunity to cheat.
The Force Awakens!