The ‘Enhanced Games,’ the mutated, drug-filled cousin of the Olympics is trying to say its fake world records are the real ones. This comes after Greece’s Kristian Gkolomeev allegedly set a new “world record” in the men’s 50m freestyle with a time 0.02 faster than the reigning record, held by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo.
The drug-filled ‘Enhanced Games’ are trying to get its fraud world records recognized as the real ones
This is such a joke.
Photo by Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Gkolomeev allegedly set the time back February in a closed-doors time trial in North Carolina. It came a month after the swimmer began taking a regimen of banned substances, while also wearing a full-body ‘supersuit,’ which was banned from international competition in 2009.
Obviously this whole thing is a total scam, but organizers of the Enhanced Games are claiming their “world records” should stand. Their argument is the times are legitimate because they used the same timing systems and regulation pools as swimming’s governing bodies — while ignoring the fact that its athletes are full of drugs and using illegal suits.
Gkolomeev is hardly a big name in international swimming. He finished 5th at the Olympic Games in 2024 with a time of 21.59, and won silver at the European championships — but his list of accolades stops there. A statement from World Aquatics, swimming’s governing body slammed not just the idea of accepting the time, but the premise of the Enhanced Games in its entirety.
“The Enhanced Games are not a sporting competition built on universal values like honesty, fairness and equity: they are a circus, built on shortcuts. The enduring power of athletes to serve as role models for children and adults alike relies on their talent, hard work, respect and friendship. That’s what we see in our champions and in our competitions, and that’s what we’ll continue to showcase.”
Touting this new “record” is part of the marketing campaign for the Enhanced Games, which announced it will hold its first competition in Las Vegas in May of 2026. Founded by Australian lawyer Aron D’Souza, an associate of billionaire investor Peter Thiel, and backed by Thiel, Donald Trump Jr, and others — the Enhanced Games is sounding more and more like a multi-level marketing scheme for snake oil than an actual athletic competition.
Gkolomeev raved about the lean muscle mass he’s gained since taking drugs advised by the Enhanced Games, while there are plans in the works to sell at-home “supplements” branded by the games this Summer.
The whole thing is a total clown show.
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