Joining Enhanced Games 'no brainer' says Irish Olympian Max McCusker

"Post-Olympics, I essentially had no money," said McCusker

Irish Olympians Max McCusker and Shane Ryan have both signed up to be part of the Enhanced Games. Pic: Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile

Max McCusker said it was a "no brainer" for him to join the Enhanced Games. Earlier this month, the Olympian became the second Irish swimmer to sign up for the event which will allow competitors to take performance-enhancing drugs. 

McCusker, who was born in Glastonbury, competed for Ireland at the Paris Olympics alongside three-time Irish Olympian Shane Ryan who will also take part in the Enhanced Games.

"Post-Olympics, I essentially had no money," the 26-year-old told BBC Radio Somerset.

"I'm not a Premier League footballer. You don't make a lot of money in swimming. I guess, as a professional swimmer for four-ish years, I probably made less than 10,000."

Each individual event at the Enhanced Games, which will be held in Las Vegas in May, will have a prize pot of $500,000 with $250,000 going to the winner. 

"It was just an absolute no-brainer. Not just the financial side. It was out of interest," McCusker said.

"I'd done an Olympics - and barely anyone's done that - but this is another great opportunity. A great experience to do something that no-one's done before."

McCusker, holder of the Irish 100m butterfly record, is one of 11 swimmers to have signed up so far. Athletics and weightlifting will be the other disciplines. 

McCusker does not know what drugs he could end up taking. 

"You're trying to find that one per cent all the time," he said.

"Now you've got every facet you can imagine - nutrition, recovery, everything - trying to enhance your performance fully. That was a big thing for me," he said.

"You try to do these things when you are a professional athlete to the best of your ability but you don't have the finances for that.

"I wanted to see what I could do in the sport if everything was perfect."