Enhanced Games Rejects Doubts Over Gkolomeev's 20.81 50m Swim as Timing Scrutiny Grows
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 25
Enhanced Games Rejects Doubts Over Gkolomeev's 20.81 50m Swim as Timing Scrutiny Grows
9 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 25
Enhanced Games said claims Kristian Gkolomeev’s 20.81-second 50m freestyle was mistimed are baseless, after social media users argued he appeared to touch the wall after the time flashed on screen.
Primetime Timing, which ran the system, stood by the result, and organizers said USA Swimming-certified meet officials verified operations while more than 200 journalists from 25 countries were allowed to inspect the venue.
Gkolomeev’s mark was 0.07 seconds faster than Cameron McEvoy’s official world record, but it will not be recognized because the swimmer used banned performance-enhancing drugs and an outlawed skinsuit.
Ben Proud said the drugs and suit could each add about 2%, while one possible source of the online confusion was a livestream clock that may not have been perfectly synchronized.
The dispute adds to broader skepticism around the Enhanced Games, even as CEO Max Martin hailed the swim as proof the event had entered mainstream culture and was "here to stay."
When athletes are chemically enhanced, does breaking a world record still count as a human achievement?
Is the Enhanced Games a bold frontier for human achievement or a dangerous, high-stakes medical experiment?