Australian swimmer James Magnussen has finished last in the 100m freestyle at the inaugural Enhanced Games in Las Vegas. The event, which allows athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs, saw Kristian Gkolomeev take the win in 46.6 seconds, just shy of the world record of 46.4 set by China's Pan Zhanle at the Paris Olympics.
Magnussen, who was never in contention, clocked 49.44 on Monday (AEST), far off his personal best of 47.1 set back in 2012. The 35-year-old, who was the first athlete to sign up for the Enhanced Games, wore a one-off gold swimsuit during the race.
Despite the disappointing result, Magnussen earned $US50,000 ($A70,000) for his performance in the 100m freestyle. He is also set to compete in the 50m freestyle event. The financial incentives are substantial for the two-time Olympian and dual 100m freestyle world champion, who retired from swimming in 2018 before the Enhanced Games came along.
Concept of the Enhanced Games
The Enhanced Games is a multi-sport event founded by Australian entrepreneur Aron D'Souza, which permits athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs. The program includes track and field sprinting and weightlifting, with no drug testing involved.
Race winners can claim $US250,000 ($A358,000) in prize money, while a $US1 million ($A1.4 million) bonus is on offer for anyone breaking the 100m freestyle world record. Similarly, a $1 million bonus is available for breaking the 100m sprint world record.
D'Souza, originally from Melbourne, has since left the company that became The Enhanced Group. On May 8, the company officially launched on the New York Stock Exchange with a reported enterprise valuation of $1.2 billion.
The performance-enhancing drugs used by Magnussen and other athletes are marketed and sold by The Enhanced Group, adding a layer of controversy to the event.
