Head Coach Jason’s Take: Why I Stand with World Aquatics — But Still See the Other Side

When World Aquatics announced a ban on athletes affiliated with the Enhanced Games, it made headlines — and sent a clear message:

Swimming must stay clean, safe, and fair.

And I agree with that.

But I also think it’s worth looking a little deeper.

There is a place for what the Enhanced Games are doing. Not in mainstream sport. Not alongside Olympic hopefuls. But in the space of human science — controlled environments where people push the absolute limits of biology and technology.

That has value.
But it’s not the same as sport.

I’ve Seen This Before

Back in my competitive days, it wasn’t drugs — it was suits.

Performance suits changed everything. I wore them. So did everyone else.

Between 2000 and 2009, world records were falling like dominos. Then FINA stepped in and banned the suits. Not because they weren’t exciting, but because they weren’t fair.

Success had started to depend less on stroke technique and training and more on who could afford the latest gear.

That moment taught me something important:
When sport starts depending more on equipment than athlete effort, it loses its soul.

Don’t Confuse Science with Sport

The Enhanced Games are being marketed as the future:

• No drug bans

• No gear restrictions

• No limitations on performance

• Just results — whatever it takes

And for research? Sure — let that exist. Let athletes choose that path in full awareness. Let science explore its edges.

But let’s also call it what it is:
A human performance experiment, not a sport.

Because once you let enhancements run wild, the race isn’t about who trained hardest — it’s about who has the best lab behind them. The competition becomes clinical. Manufactured. Disconnected from the very lessons sport is supposed to teach.

Why It Matters to the Next Generation

This isn’t just about elite athletes.

It’s about what we teach the kids coming up behind us.

If we blur the line between effort and enhancement, we send the wrong message:

• That shortcuts matter more than consistency

• That winning justifies any method

• That you need more than coaching — you need chemicals, implants, or engineered gear

And that’s not what we teach at Swimly.

We coach kids and adults to build real confidence. Real skill with Real results.

That doesn’t come from a pill or a protocol.
It comes from showing up. From discipline. From patience and progress.

My Position?

Keep the Sport Clean. But Keep Asking Questions.

Yes, World Aquatics made the right call. Bans like this protect fairness, athlete safety, and the credibility of competition.

But that doesn’t mean we should stop exploring human potential.

Let Enhanced Games exist as a research platform. As a window into what’s scientifically possible. But not as a replacement for real sport.

Because when it comes to competitive swimming, the value isn’t in how fast we can go with help.
It’s how far we can go on our own.

At Swimly, We Know Our Lane

We stand for:

• Technique over tech

• Resilience over risk

• Earned results over fast-tracked fame

That’s the message we pass on to every swimmer who walks through our doors.

Because real success doesn’t come from enhancements — it comes from effort.

And that’s something no lab can replicate.

Jason Cram is a former World Champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist. He now leads Swimly’s coaching programs in Sydney, helping swimmers of all levels build skill, confidence, and a love for the water that lasts a lifetime.