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Insane transformation of Olympic swimmer who decided to join Enhanced Games where steroids are legal

Home> News> Sport

Published 18:09 27 May 2025 GMT+1

Insane transformation of Olympic swimmer who decided to join Enhanced Games where steroids are legal

World Aquatics has described the event as a 'circus'

James Moorhouse

James Moorhouse

The sporting world was rocked last week when it was confirmed that an athlete competing in next year's Enhanced Games had smashed through a long-standing swimming world record.

While it must be noted that sporting officials have been pretty clear that this won't be recognised as an official competition, Kristian Gkolomeev probably won't mind, given that his 'record' also came with a $1 million prize from Enhanced Games' founder Aron D'Souza.

Plans for the first ever Enhanced Games in Las Vegas have been met with mixed reactions, but big businessmen including Donald Trump Jr have gone public with their support for the competition, which will essentially see athletes take steroids to their heart's content before competing in swimming and weightlifting competitions.

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James Magnussen back in 2018 (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
James Magnussen back in 2018 (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

All the athletes competing are doing so of their own accord, with Australian Olympian James Magnussen the first athlete to be confirmed last year, and after a full year of training with performance-enhancing drugs, the 34-year-old's insane transformation is clear to see.

A documentary titled 50 Meters to History: The First Superhuman follows Magnussen and Gkolomeev, who have been identified as the faces of the games ever since D'Souza first went public with his plans.

In the documentary, we see Magnussen looking absolutely huge, as he takes to the pool following his training and registers a sub 24-second 50m freestyle.

Magnussen has certainly undergone a drastic transformation to get ready for next year's games (YouTube/Enhanced Games)
Magnussen has certainly undergone a drastic transformation to get ready for next year's games (YouTube/Enhanced Games)

What has the wider sporting community said about the Enhanced Games?

Speaking to LADbible last week, World Aquatics described the event as a 'circus' and also refused to acknowledge any swimming 'records' that may be set at future events.

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They said: "Like clowns juggling knives, sadly, these athletes will get hurt performing in this circus.

"History has shown us time and time again the grave dangers of doping to human health. This is a sideshow to those who compete honestly, fairly, and respect the true spirit of sport.

"Athletic performance is a pure, special thing and should not be distorted by delusions of 'science' and 'medicine'. For every step forward taken by clean athletes, the athletes competing in this circus take ten steps backwards."

Cam McEvoy, who won gold for Australia in the 50m freestyle at the Paris Olympics, also voiced his concerns in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.

“It doesn’t count in any way, shape or form when you take drugs or wear one of the banned suits, or both," he said.

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Obviously, if you've ever watched the Olympics or any other swimming events, you'll be well aware that the pros are pretty lean and muscular. As you can see with Magnussen's almost triangle-shaped torso, this can help the athletes as it provides a centre of mass near the lungs and allows them to float horizontally with little or no effort.

So, it's pretty clear that he's been handed a sporting advantage, but when he's up against all the other athletes taking part in the Enhanced Games, it could create more of a level playing field.

Featured Image Credit: FOX Sports
James Moorhouse
James Moorhouse

James is a NCTJ Gold Standard journalist covering a wide range of topics and news stories for LADbible. After two years in football writing, James switched to covering news with Newsquest in Cumbria, before joining the LAD team in 2025. In his spare time, James is a long-suffering Rochdale fan and loves reading, running and music. Contact him via [email protected]

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@JimmyMoorhouse

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