THREE-TIME Irish Olympian Shane Ryan has ignited a debate across the sporting world after announcing his decision to compete in the Enhanced Games.
The games are a controversial new sporting event that allows the use of performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision.
Ryan, 31, represented Ireland at the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024 Olympic Games and holds ten national swimming records.
“My whole 20s I gave to Ireland,” Ryan said in an interview with The Guardian.
“Olympic athletes train so hard all their life, and they just don’t get paid. I was like, you know what, let me do something for me for once. Let me make some money.”
The Enhanced Games, set to debut in May 2026 in Las Vegas, will feature events in sprinting, swimming, and weightlifting, with a total prize pool of $500,000 per event and a $1 million bonus for breaking world records.
The event has drawn global attention and criticism for allowing the use of banned substances like testosterone, human growth hormone, and EPO, which have been outlawed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Sporting organisations in Ireland and abroad have widely condemned Ryan’s move.
Sport Ireland said it was “deeply disappointed”, while Swim Ireland confirmed it had cut all ties with the former Olympian.
The Olympic Federation of Ireland described the Enhanced Games as “in direct opposition to our core clean sport values.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin even weighed in, criticising the event and Ryan’s choice.
But Ryan remains unrepentant.
“People’s opinions aren’t going to pay me,” he said. “They’re not going to help me set up my future.”
Ryan explained that he had been living on €18,000 a year while training full-time and trying to support himself in Dublin, calling it "below minimum wage".
Now, he says, the Enhanced Games offers a long-awaited financial lifeline.
“If I win one event, I get $250,000. If I win both, that’s half a million dollars,” he said.
“For me, as a 31-year-old athlete, this is a jumpstart financially.”
Enhanced Games CEO Maximilian Martin defended the event’s controversial approach, calling it a “radical alternative” that promotes “superhumanity” and transparency.
“Our athletes exhibit integrity by enhancing openly under medical guidance,” Martin said in a statement.
“They are informed, consenting adults.”
The Games are financially backed by Silicon Valley investors and other notable figures, including Donald Trump Jr.
They have already attracted other Olympians, such as Team GB’s Ben Proud and Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev.
Still, not everyone is convinced.
Former Irish Olympian Nick O’Hare warned Ryan that he is making a "huge mistake" and risks tarnishing his legacy, according to RTÉ.
Even Ryan admits there may be reputational costs. “Legacy-wise, I do feel like I’m throwing a little bit away,” he said.
“But what I need to do now is put myself first.”
See More: Drugs, Enhanced Games, Irish Olympics, Shane Ryan
