Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 25
Gkolomeev Swims 20.81 50m Free at Enhanced Games, Claiming $1.25 Million Unofficial Record
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 25

Gkolomeev Swims 20.81 50m Free at Enhanced Games, Claiming $1.25 Million Unofficial Record

16 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 25
  • 20.81 seconds made Kristian Gkolomeev the only athlete at the inaugural Enhanced Games to better a world record, beating Cameron McEvoy's 20.88 in the men's 50m freestyle.
  • The 32-year-old Greek earned $250,000 for the win and a $1 million bonus, but the mark will not be recognized because the event allows banned performance-enhancing drugs and he wore a prohibited polyurethane suit.
  • 42 athletes competed across swimming, athletics and weightlifting before a curated crowd of about 2,500, with organizers saying most used enhancement and 13 set personal bests.
  • World Aquatics called the event a "circus, built on short-cuts," adding to IOC and Wada criticism of the Games as an immoral and dangerous challenge to mainstream anti-doping rules.
When human limits are pushed by drugs, is it still sport or a science experiment?
What is the long-term health price for a million-dollar, drug-fueled world record?