Irish Olympic swimmer Shane Ryan can now take all the performance-enhancing drugs he wants as part of his training plan.

And if anabolic steroids, human growth hormone (HGH), or testosterone supplements show up in his system next May when he competes in Las Vegas, the organisers will congratulate him for playing by the rules.

The Enhanced Games dubbed the Steroid Olympics – was dreamed up by Australian businessman Aron D’Souza as a sporting event that lets competitors maximise their performance by doping.

Ryan, who was the first swimmer to compete in three Olympics for Ireland, says the decision to join the Enhanced Games is financial. He will, he says, be “making over six figures for nine months and then potentially making over $600,000 when it comes down the line”.

But Wada (World Anti-Doping Agency) rules exist not just to level the playing field for all athletes but also to protect them from the health impacts of doping. So isn’t the 31 year-old worried?

Irish Times sports writer Malachy Clerkin talked to him from his new training base in Nevada.

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