Sport Ireland has said it is "deeply disappointed" with the decision of Irish swimmer Shane Ryan to join the Enhanced Games, a controversial competition that permits athletes to take banned performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision.
The first Enhanced Games is due to take place in May 2026 at a purpose-built complex in Las Vegas.
The complex will have a four-lane 50-metre pool, a six-lane sprint track, and a weightlifting stage.
Each event will have a total prize purse of $500,000 (€432,000), with $250,000 (€216,000) awarded to the winner. There'll also be $1m (€864,000) on offer for competitors who break world records in the 100m sprint on the track and 50m freestyle in the pool.
In June, World Aquatics announced it will ban athletes, coaches and officials from its events if they have taken part in the Enhanced Games.
"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 31-year-old Ryan, who announced his retirement from competitive swimming last week.
"I've always wanted to know the absolute maximum of what my body is truly capable of, and here, with the focus on athlete health, safety, and transparency, I finally get that chance. I'm ready to embrace this new era, and hopefully smash my personal bests and challenge the world records."
Sport Ireland released a statement on Monday night criticising Ryan's call to partake in the event.
"Sport Ireland is deeply disappointed that swimmer Shane Ryan has decided to take part in the Enhanced Games," it said.
"This event, which allows the use of performance-enhancing substances and methods, risks compromising athlete wellbeing and sends an insidious message - especially to all young athletes.
"At Sport Ireland we are dedicated to safeguarding athlete health and defending the rights of the clean athlete. We are disappointed that any Irish high-performance athlete, past or present, would support an event which is so at odds with our values. It is the absolute antithesis of our work on behalf of the clean athlete. We condemn everything that the Enhanced Games stands for.
"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. Some of these substances can cause severe, long-lasting medical problems. In extreme cases, athletes have died from using these dangerous drugs.
"At Sport Ireland we remain committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in sport. We are dedicated to exercising the highest duty of care towards our athletes and to safeguarding the integrity of sport. We will continue to uphold the values of clean sport and are opposed to the Enhanced Games concept."
Swim Ireland also issued a statement in response to Ryan's announcement.
It reads: "Swim Ireland is committed to elevating our world ranking through dedication, innovation, and adherence to the highest standards of clean competition.
"We believe that true athletic excellence is achieved through hard work and fair play, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to Sport Ireland and WADA’s anti-doping regulations.
"In that light, we are disappointed by Shane Ryan’s decision to sign an agreement with the Enhanced Games 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 going forward."
The Olympic Federation of Ireland commented: "We are very disappointed to hear about Shane Ryan's decision. Although he recently announced his retirement from competitive swimming, the area he is moving into stands in direct opposition to our core clean sport values - values that underpin the Olympic Movement, Irish sport and the World Anti-Doping Code, values that we all have a duty to uphold."
Born in Pennsylvania, Ryan moved to Ireland in 2014. He became the first Irishman to swim at three Olympic Games (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024) and was also the first Irish swimmer to win a World Short Course medal and a member of the first male relay to represent Ireland at an Olympic Games at Tokyo 2021.
