Max McCusker has become the second Irish swimmer to sign up for the highly controversial Enhanced Games, the new sporting event that openly allows and encourages the use of otherwise banned performance-enhancing drugs.
The 26-year-old McCusker joins Shane Ryan, who announced his decision to join the Enhanced Games in October, prompting widespread disapproval from Swim Ireland, Sport Ireland and the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
Set to take place in Las Vegas in May of 2026, the Enhanced Games will feature just three events – athletics, swimming and weightlifting – with a $1 million bonus for any athlete breaking world records in the 100m sprint or the 50m freestyle.
McCusker was part of the Irish men’s 4x100m medley relay that competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics, alongside Ryan, and also Conor Ferguson and Darragh Greene. He is the Irish record holder in the 100m butterfly.
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Although he was born in Glastonbury in the UK and attended Millfield School in Somerset, McCusker opted to represent Swim Ireland, having started out in the England and British underage swimming championships. He then attended college in the US.
In an Instagram post confirming his addition to the Enhanced Games, McCusker simply said: “If you don’t get it, you weren’t meant to.”
The US-born Ryan then commented on the post: “Welcome to the team.”
In joining Ryan at the Enhanced Games, McCusker brings to 11 the number of swimmers who have signed in all, along with three weightlifters and three sprinters.
Ryan was the first Irish swimmer to compete in three Olympics, and signed up for the Enhanced Games just a week after announcing his retirement: “After a decade dedicated to traditional competition on the world’s highest stage, I’m excited to dive into this next chapter with the Enhanced Games,” said the 31-year-old Ryan. “I’ve always wanted to know the absolute maximum of what my body is truly capable of.”
Any athlete signed up will receive an appearance fee, and each individual event will carry a total prize purse of $500,000, with $250,000 awarded to first place. There will also be a $1 million bonus for breaking world records in the 100m sprint and 50m freestyle – “recognised as the definitive tests of raw human speed”.
In addition, the Enhanced Games organisers plan to sell performance-enhancing drugs such as testosterone via their website, again encouraging their use as part of their “mission to redefine super humanity through science, innovation and sports”.
Liberia’s fastest man, Emmanuel Matadi, has also announced his decision to sign up for the Enhanced Games, becoming the third sprinter confirmed for the games, after Fred Kerley from the US and Mouhamadou Fall from France.
Swim Ireland had expressed their disappointment at Ryan’s decision and “can advise that in line with his retirement in October he is no longer associated with Swim Ireland’s national team and further to that, will not be provided with any funding or services by the NGB [national governing body] going forward”.
Sport Ireland added: “Performance-enhancing drugs aren’t just banned because they can give athletes an unfair advantage. Many are banned because they can seriously harm athletes’ health ... In extreme cases, athletes have died from using these dangerous drugs.”
The Enhanced Games organisers insist there is a strict “performance-enhancement protocol” with two independent commissions, one medical and one scientific, that will help guide athletes to safely and effectively take performance-enhancing drugs.
