German swimmer Kusch: Enhanced Games won't replace Olympics

German swimmer Marius Kusch said that the controversial Enhanced Games will not replace the Olympics.

"This is what matters to me: The Enhanced Games are entertainment - it's no coincidence that they take place in Las Vegas rather than Berlin," he told the Spiegel magazine in an interview published on Thursday evening.

"This is something completely different from traditional competitions. They will never replace the Olympic Games," said Kusch, who has recently announced he will participate in the Enhanced Games.

At the Enhanced Games competitors are expected to try to set world records with the aid of performance-enhancing drugs.

The much-criticized event is due to debut in May 2026 in Las Vegas, with swimming, athletics and weightlifting included.

Kusch was the first German athlete to sing up for the event and was heavily criticized for his decision.

"It's okay if not everyone has the same opinion. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how many people were open to the idea," he said and stressed he won't change his mind.

"For me, it would have been out of the question to decide to participate and then back down and not answer people's questions."

According to the Enhanced Games organizers, each individual event will carry a prize fund of $500,000, with $250,000 awarded to the winner.

Appearance fees will also be paid out while there is a $1 million reward for world records in the 50m freestyle swimming and the 100m athletics events. No doping tests will be carried out, effectively giving competitors free rein to take performance-enhancing drugs.

British swimmer Ben Proud and US sprinter Fred Kerley have already announced their participation. Both won medals at Olympics and world championships.

Kusch emphasized that money was a major motivating factor in his decision. But he also wanted to know what effect doping substances would have on his performance.

"We only receive drugs that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are available on the market," he explained. "I'm curious and want to know what the effects are."

The FDA is a federal agency in the United States responsible for promoting public health through the control and supervision of medications, among many other things.

Kusch will decide next year whether and how he will begin taking the substances under medical supervision.

"The dosages are only suggestions from the doctors, as is the duration of doping. After the Enhanced Games, we will be monitored for another five years and our biomarkers will be observed," he said.

A biomarker is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition such as blood, urine or soft tissue.