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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Pressure isn't coming... it's already here. This week Jake and Damian go deep into the High Performance archives to ask: what do the very best actually do when it arrives?

Featuring Chrissie Wellington on racing imperfect races perfectly, Tom Aspinall on why admitting fear beats denying it, Dan Carter on the All Blacks' hardest lesson, James Milner on what Klopp did after losing two finals, and Yaya Touré on the video Pep showed Barcelona the night before the 2009 Champions League final.

Listen to the full episodes:

Chrissie Wellington https://pod.fo/e/103df1

Tom Aspinall https://pod.fo/e/2d3d2e

Dan Carter https://pod.fo/e/f5fc4

James Milner https://pod.fo/e/20a01e

Yaya Touré https://pod.fo/e/3f55a1

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Oscar Piastri is a name synonymous with composure, but beneath the calm exterior lies a driver with a quietly radical approach to the pinnacle of motorsport. Recorded at the heart of the McLaren Technology Centre, this episode takes us inside the clinical, high-performance world of the young Australian as he navigates his rise through the F1 ranks.

In this episode, Oscar reveals the psychological framework behind his success, explaining why he measures performance by control rather than results. He discusses the "honest brutality" of his mental training and the exact moment his mindset shifted from hoping for wins to knowing they were inevitable.

Beyond the data, Oscar also opens up about the complex social architecture of the paddock. He reflects on the unsentimental line between respect and friendship, and the fragile internal dynamic with Lando Norris that very nearly turned poisonous.

This episode offers an unfiltered look at F1’s future, from "refreshing" FIA collaborations to Oscar’s blunt, five-word verdict on the 2026 cars. It is a deep dive into the mind of a driver who isn’t just racing in F1, he’s deconstructing it.

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Stephen Hendry won seven world snooker titles in nine years. He didn't just reach the top of snooker, he made the top his permanent address for almost a decade. But this conversation goes far beyond the trophies.

We're revisiting this incredible chat with Stephen where he tells Jake and Damian what it actually felt like to be that dominant, why he deliberately kept himself cold and aloof from every rival, and what the relentless pursuit of winning ultimately cost him. And why if given the choice, he'd do it again.

This is an unflinching portrait of what total dedication looks like from the inside — and one of the most honest conversations we've ever had on High Performance.

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Jake and Damian discuss a BIG announcement this week... High Performance has a new show, and it's all about Formula One.

Hosted by Jake Humphrey alongside former Aston Martin & Alpine Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and ex-Ferrari & Williams Race Engineer Rob Smedley, High Performance Racing breaks down F1's biggest stories through the eyes of people who actually lived it.

Jake explains why the audience demanded it, and why no other F1 podcast is made quite like this one — front row seat to the paddock, from team analysis and technical breakdowns to the unfiltered conversations of the pit wall.

You'll also hear a clip from Episode 1 — covering the cancelled races, the Mercedes era question, Kimi Antonelli's talent, and whether F1 2026 has broken its own sport. Plus...can Lewis Hamilton ever become an eight-time world champion? That conversation is waiting for you in the full episode!

Subscibe & Listen on Spotify: https://bit.ly/42lcqYN

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Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highperformance.racing/

Watch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/48NuT3T

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At 105 years old, WWII Mosquito pilot Flt Lt Colin Bell, DFC, remains a masterclass in mental discipline and strategic focus. Having survived 50 high-stakes missions over Germany in one of the war's fastest and most dangerous aircraft, Colin breaks down the vital distinction between eliminating fear and controlling it, a survival mindset that translates directly from the cockpit to the highest-pressure environments of the modern world.

In this episode, he delivers a sobering warning on the dangers of national and personal complacency, drawing sharp, uncomfortable parallels between the political climate of the 1930s and the world we live in today. Colin also shares the "Mosquito mindset" for living a full and meaningful life: a philosophy rooted in decisive action, ruthless preparation, and the unwavering emotional discipline required to navigate a crisis without losing one's sense of self.

This conversation serves as a rare blueprint for building the courage and clarity needed to navigate an increasingly uncertain world.

Flt Lt Colin Bell's book Bloody Dangerous: Fifty missions over Germany: The last first-hand account from WW2, is out now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bloody-Dangerous-missions-Germany-first-hand/dp/0349148996

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