'You’re risking your health': Daniel Wiffen hits out as Irish swimmers sign up for drug-boosted event

Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen said the lack of funding for rising Irish swimming stars like John Shortt and Evan Bailey is "ridiculous"

Swim Ireland launched its groundbreaking Swimming Pool Gap Analysis report on Tuesday revealing critical deficiencies in Ireland's swimming infrastructure. The report makes an urgent call for investment to ensure 'A Pool Within Reach' for every Irish person. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen does not understand why swimmers would risk their health to compete at the Enhanced Games. It was confirmed on Monday that Max McCusker was the second Irish swimmer to sign up for the controversial competition, joining Shane Ryan. 

McCusker, the Irish 100m butterfly record holder, was part of the 4x100m medley relay team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The Enhanced Games, which will be held in Las Vegas in May, will allow athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs.

"I think it's a completely different thing - it's not swimming," Wiffen, who won one gold and two bronze medals at the recent European Short Course Championships, said on Tuesday.

"Some swimmers are doing it for the money, and you can understand why - there's just not enough money in our sport but it doesn't make sense, morally, that people would go out and do it just for a pay cheque. You're risking your health at the end of the day.

"It's something I would never partake in. I probably wouldn't even watch it."

Wiffen expanded on his belief that Irish swimmers like John Shortt and Evan Bailey, who won European gold and bronze respectively last week, do not receive enough funding. Shortt is classed in the international funding category, receiving €18,000.

"I'm not going to talk about myself in this because I'm lucky enough to be an Olympic champion, so I have the sponsorship backing. I'm on the top funding of €40,000," said Wiffen.

"These guys, their parents are paying for them to swim. It's crazy to me. I was the same. It took me until after the Tokyo Olympics to get on the funding. I just think it's ridiculous, to be honest. How are they not getting the funding when they're winning European medals? John Shortt, he's winning European, world Juniors.

"I mean, €18,000 is just not enough. €40,000 should be the minimum, in my opinion."

Wiffen continued: "I understand that you have got to make the results to get the funding. It does make sense, but there should be brackets as well for people who are up and coming. I was never classified as an up-and-coming athlete.

"I was always just off that, and I didn't get any funding for it. Actually, I got Sport NI funding on the year of the Olympics, when I made it. That's not even half of what the minimum funding is, but that's just crazy to me. I made the Olympics, and I still wasn't able to get on it straight away.

"Another thing is that we also get taxed on our funding. In the UK, you don't get taxed on your funding. So even if I'm getting €40,000, I'm not getting €40,000 - I'm really getting €30,000. That's how it works."