What separates the athlete who cheats from the one who doesn't? And is the answer as simple as character — or is something else going on entirely?

This week, Damian sits down with sports journalist James Witts, author of Dope, a book that goes deep into the culture surrounding elite sport and the forces that push athletes across the line.

They get into the Enhanced Games arriving in Las Vegas, the staggering gap between how many athletes self-report doping versus how many ever test positive, and why doping in a contact sport like boxing is a fundamentally different moral question to doping on a bike.

Jake and Damian also bring in archive clips from legends Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson — two athletes who faced the question head-on, and answered it differently. Plus: your questions from the comments, what Jake and Damian have been watching and reading this week.

Dope by James Witts is out now.

Listen to full episodes:

Usain Bolt https://pod.fo/e/279623

Michael Johnson https://pod.fo/e/254ca8

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Bjørn Mannsverk is the former F-16 fighter pilot who swapped combat missions for football kits to lead Bodø/Glimt on a historic rise. Under his guidance, the small Norwegian club achieved the impossible, dismantling giants like Manchester City, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid despite a stadium capacity of just 8,200.

In this episode, Bjørn explains how he transformed the team by strictly banning the word "winning" and replacing it with a performance-driven culture built on "awareness training." He breaks down his "Fighter Pilot Method," including high-pressure "friction meetings" and the on-pitch huddle known as "The Ring" that refocused his team after every goal.

Bjørn also explores how treating a dressing room like a combat squadron drove the club’s revenue from €4.2m to €80m and why letting go of ambition is the ultimate key to elite success.

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This week we're revisiting one of the most beloved episodes in High Performance history — our conversation with Mel Marshall, former head coach to Adam Peaty and one of the most compelling thinkers on leadership, coaching and human development we've ever had on the show.

Mel went to Athens in 2004 as the world's fastest swimmer in her event. She came home without a medal. From that moment, she built an entirely new philosophy — and went on to coach Adam Peaty to multiple Olympic gold medals from a club pool in Derby with dodgy lane ropes and no gym.

In this episode, Mel talks about why people always come before performance. How she builds commitment culture. The art of giving feedback that actually changes behaviour. And the question she plans to ask Adam at the end of his career that has nothing to do with medals.

One of the most complete conversations we've had on this show — and one that will stay with you long after it's finished.

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