Olympics supremo John Coates not sold on Enhanced Games
Olympic powerbroker John Coates says he won’t be wasting any of his time thinking about the Enhanced Games in the countdown to Paris. Find out why inside.
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Olympic powerbroker John Coates says he won’t be wasting any of his time thinking about the Enhanced Games because there are more pressing issues for sports officials to deal with in the countdown to Paris.
Coates was challenged to a debate by one of the backers of the Enhanced Games - a proposed radical event where competitors will be able to juice up with performance-enhancing drugs to see how far they go - but knocked it back.
The promoters have promised rich cash prizes for any athletes who agree to take part and break existing world records but have come under attack from Coates and other leading sports officials..
“I don’t think it will get off the ground,” Coates said.
“The Olympic movement’s position on the Enhanced Games is tied to our position on anti-doping and I think any support for the Enhanced Games is giving the wrong message to parents.
“It’s about why their kids should be involved in the sport and you don’t want to have a message that it’s necessary to be enhanced to do well in sport.
“That’s not what it’s about. It’s about a playing field and all of those things.”
Retired Australian swimming star James Magnussen is the first athlete to sign up for the Games, but has copped plenty of flak over his decision.
A double world champion, Magnussen said he never even considered using drugs when he was racing in the green and gold for Australia but was intrigued by how fast he could go at age 32 with the aid of science and controlled drugs.
But Coates remains sceptical that the Enhanced Games - an idea of Australian entrepreneur Aron D’Souza - will even take place.
“I can’t see it,” Coates said.
“Maybe he’s going to pull some sponsors out of the air but I haven’t seen any so far and I’ve only seen one athlete who’s put his hand up.”
Coates and other Olympic bosses are already grappling with more immediate issues, particularly around Russia’s participation at the Paris Olympics.
Banned from competing under the Russian flag, some Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to attend the Games as independents, but only under strict regulations, which Coates believes will drastically reduce their numbers.
“The issue is how many of them are going to be there too because they’re not going to be in any team sports because they can’t compete as Russia,” Coates said.
“And then anyone who is prepared out of the Russian military clubs, they’re not going.
“I don’t know but obviously some athletes might choose not to go if they’re not competing for Russia.
“I mightn’t be right but I think that I’ve read something that it might be as little as 40.”
Russians have been competing as neutrals long before Vladimir Putin’s troops waged war with Ukraine after being busted for systemic doping.
Russian authorities say they have cleaned up their at but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) remains wary.
Earlier this week WADA President Witold Banka told a doping symposium in Switzerland he had received many questions from concerned athletes regarding the Russians who could be competing in Paris.
“WADA remains deeply sceptical and worried when it comes to Russia,“ Banka said.
“We must remain vigilant and leave no stone unturned to ensure that all the proper education and testing has taken place in advance of Paris.”
Coates told this masthead he supported WADA’s vigilance in relation to Russia and all countries attending the Games.
“I’m pleased when WADA and the International Testing Agency is asking these questions,” Coates said.
“We all want to ensure that the athletes, Russia or Ukraine or wherever they’re from have been appropriately tested.”
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