Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev broke a world record at the Enhanced Games. The controversial event was held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Competitors vied for a new world record.
The Enhanced Games aimed to see what the athletes could do with the use of PEDs if the athletes wanted to partake. Normal competition in weightlifting, swimming and track have intense anti-doping policies.
Gkolomeev’s Record-Breaking Swim
In the very last event of the night, the men’s 50m free, Kristian Gkolomeev broke the non-enhanced world record. He swam it in 20.81 seconds. Cameron McEvoy of Australia previously held the record at 20.88 seconds.
The swim earned Gkolomeev $250,000 for first place. He also received a $1 million bonus for eclipsing the non-enhanced world record.
Gkolomeev is a three-time former NCAA champion for Alabama. This includes the 2014 championship in the 50 free. He won silver in the event at the 2019 world championships. From 2012 to 2024, he competed for Greece in four Olympic Games, but never medaled.
Other Performances at the Games
Outside of Gkolomeev’s swim, world records were elusive. Fred Kerley fell short of the world record by about four-tenths of a second. He said he did not compete “enhanced.”
British swimmer Ben Proud came close to the world record in the men’s 50m fly. He posted a time of 22.32 seconds; the world record is 22.27 seconds.
Thor Björnsson, also known as the “Mountain,” from “Game of Thrones,” deadlifted 475kg. The world record is 510kg.
About the Enhanced Games
The event has been colloquially known as “the Olympics with steroids.” Not every athlete chose to use PEDs, but those who did were under strict medical supervision. This was to ensure that they were using the drugs safely.
- Any world records set would award the athlete additional prize money.
- For the weightlifting events, an athlete could net an extra $250,000.
- In the 100-meter sprint or the swimming events, a record-breaking athlete could win an additional $1 million.
The event aimed at seeing whether science could help athletes reach another level. All eyes were on whether competitors would be able to make history.
Below is a look at the full results from the 2026 Enhanced Games.
Hunter Armstrong swam the 50m free in 24.21 seconds and is “not enhanced”. Kristian Gkolomeev swam the 50m free in 46.60 seconds.