The contentious Enhanced Games took place on Sunday, May 24th, in Las Vegas, Nevada, drawing participants who aimed to achieve new global benchmarks.
Unlike standard events in weightlifting, aquatic sports, and athletics that enforce stringent anti-doping regulations, the Enhanced competition sought to explore athletes’ potential performance when performance-enhancing drugs were voluntarily utilized.
What were the outcomes? During the concluding segment of the evening, specifically the men’s 50-meter freestyle race, Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev surpassed the existing world record for non-enhanced athletes, which stood at 20.88 seconds (held by Cameron McEvoy of Australia), by completing his swim in 20.81 seconds. This achievement secured Gkolomeev a quarter-million dollars for his victory and an additional one-million-dollar incentive for surpassing the conventional world record.
Gkolomeev previously held three NCAA titles for Alabama, including the 2014 50-meter freestyle championship. He claimed a silver medal in this discipline at the 2019 world championships. Representing Greece, he participated in four Olympic Games spanning 2012 to 2024, yet he did not secure any Olympic medals.
Beyond Gkolomeev’s performance on Sunday evening, global benchmarks proved difficult to attain.
Among the prominent participants, Fred Kerley, who stated he did not partake in “enhanced” competition, missed the world record by roughly four-tenths of a second. The British swimmer Ben Proud nearly equaled the world record in the men’s 50-meter butterfly, registering a time of 22.32 seconds (the current world record is 22.27 seconds).
Thor Björnsson, recognized as “the Mountain” from the television series “Game of Thrones,” executed a deadlift of 475 kilograms (the established world record stands at 510 kilograms).
This competition has been informally referred to as “the Olympics with performance enhancers,” though not all athletes opted for PEDs. Individuals who did utilize such substances were closely monitored by medical professionals to guarantee their safe administration.
As the primary goal of the event was to ascertain if scientific advancements could elevate athletic capabilities, attention was focused on whether participants could etch their names into history. A significant financial incentive was also offered; Enhanced had announced that any new world records established would result in extra prize money for the athlete. In weightlifting disciplines, a competitor could earn an additional $250,000; for the 100-meter dash or aquatic competitions, a record-setting athlete might claim an extra $1 million.
Presented below is a compilation of the complete outcomes from the 2026 Enhanced Games.
Swimming
*indicates personal best
(NE) – indicates athlete who is “not enhanced”
|
Event |
World Record |
Enhanced Games winner |
|
Men’s 50m backstroke |
23.55 seconds |
Hunter Armstrong (24.21 seconds) (NE) |
|
Men’s 50m breaststroke |
25.95 seconds |
Cody Miller (26.55 seconds)* |
|
Men’s 100m freestyle |
46.40 seconds |
Kristian Gkolomeev (46.60 seconds)* |
|
Women’s 50m freestyle |
23.61 seconds |
Emily Barclay (24.09 seconds)* |
|
Men’s 50m fly |
22.27 seconds |
Ben Proud (22.32 seconds)* |
|
Men’s 100m breaststroke |
56.88 seconds |
Cody Miller (59.47) |
|
Women’s 100m freestyle |
51.71 seconds |
Megan Romano (54.20) |
|
Men’s 100m fly |
49.45 seconds |
Marius Kusch (51.28) |
|
Men’s 50m freestyle |
20.88 seconds |
Kristian Gkolomeev (20.81) |
Weightlifting
*indicates personal best
(NE) – indicates athlete who is “not enhanced”
|
Event |
World Record |
Enhanced Games results |
|
Women’s Snatch |
Class – Record |
Beatriz Pirón (53kg) – N/A |
|
Men’s Snatch |
Class – Record |
Yoni Andica (79kg) – 135kg |
|
Women’s Clean & Jerk |
Class – Record 53kg – 126kg |
Beatriz Pirón (53kg) – 118 kg* |
|
Men’s Clean & Jerk |
Class – Record |
Yoni Andica (79kg) – 170kg |
|
Men’s Snatch II |
Class – Record |
Arley Méndez (88kg) – 155 kg |
|
Men’s Clean & Jerk II |
Class – Record |
Arley Méndez (88kg) – N/A |
|
Men’s Deadlift |
510 kg |
Thor Björnsson – 475 kg |
Track
*indicates personal best
(NE) – indicates athlete who is “not enhanced”
|
Event |
World Record |
Enhanced Games winner |
|
Women’s 100m sprint |
10.49 seconds |
Tristan Evelyn – 11.25 seconds |
|
Men’s 100m sprint |
9.58 seconds |
Fred Kerley – 9.97 seconds |
