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Ryan Bridge: Enhanced games just a bit of fun

Author: Ryan Bridge ,
Publish Date: Tue, 26 May 2026, 6:13am

Some guy won a million bucks for swimming 50m in a pool with a wetsuit on.

I know. Awesome, right? Should be stoked for the guy. He's Greek. He's an athlete. He broke a world record.

Problem is, he was taking performance enhancing drugs and the wetsuit was not legit. You wouldn't get away with that at the Olympics.

But what I can understand is the backlash, the tut-tutting, from the medical professionals and sporting bodies.

They're upset for two reasons.

1. These athletes are potentially putting themselves at risk, medically.
2. It undermines traditional non-doping sports.

One the first point, isn't that a bit rich?

Isn't it a bit hypocritical or the medical fraternity, who relies on medical trials of patients with sometimes unknown long-term consequences and risks.

This Greek guy just made a million bucks. That's money he can use to feed his family and change his life.

Are we really going to judge?

And as for the sport argument. Name me a sport that doesn't result in long-term injuries or medical problems down the line. Except for maybe competitive walking?

Especially at professional level. Is boxing 100% safe? Can rugby claim no concussions? How many horse riders you know in wheelchairs?

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with sport being dangerous.

It's human nature - we love challenging ourselves and sometimes that challenge can lead to damage or death.

We're thrill-seekers, essentially.

The enhanced games are basically that on steroids, literally.

If you don't like, don't watch, but don't judge a guy banking a million bucks just for going for a swim.