The inaugural Enhanced Games in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 24, 2026, promised to be an event like no other in the world of sports, and it certainly delivered on controversy, spectacle, and a hefty dose of drama. Billed as the “Olympics with steroids,” the Enhanced Games openly allowed athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) under medical supervision, challenging the long-standing anti-doping norms of international competition. With $1 million bonuses on the line for world records and $250,000 for event victories, the stakes were sky-high—and so were expectations.
At the heart of the evening’s action was Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev, who electrified the crowd in the final event: the men’s 50-meter freestyle. Gkolomeev, a four-time Olympian who had never managed to secure a medal in traditional competition, blazed through the water in a stunning 20.81 seconds. That time bested the official, non-enhanced world record of 20.88 seconds set by Australia’s Cameron McEvoy just two months prior. The swim not only earned Gkolomeev the $250,000 winner’s purse but also netted him a cool $1 million bonus for breaking the world record—though, crucially, the record will never be officially recognized.
"I'm going to say it's not bad at all. This is going to change my life to the good, for sure. It's a big help for me and my family. And yeah, I'm going to continue next year. Maybe I'll break it again," Gkolomeev told reporters after his race, beaming as he celebrated poolside with his family. The 32-year-old, who once dominated the NCAA for Alabama and earned silver at the 2019 World Championships, was finally able to call himself a world record-breaker—at least in the eyes of the Enhanced Games.
The crowd, a curated audience of about 2,500 made up mostly of family, friends, and social media influencers, erupted as Gkolomeev reclaimed his place in swimming history. Yet, outside the glitzy confines of Las Vegas, the reaction was far less enthusiastic. World Aquatics, the global swimming authority, condemned the event as a “circus, built on short-cuts.” The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) both declared the Enhanced Games “immoral” and “a dangerous and irresponsible concept.” World Athletics president Lord Coe went so far as to call participants “moronic.”
The Enhanced Games’ founders, entrepreneurs Aron D’Souza and Maximilian Martin, were undeterred by the criticism. Backed by high-profile investors like billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr., they argued that enhancement already exists in elite sports, often in secret. Their vision: bring it into the open, regulate it medically, and see just how far human performance can go. According to organizers, 38 of the 42 athletes competing at the Games used PEDs under medical supervision, with all substances approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Testosterone, growth hormone, peptides, and anabolic steroids—all banned in mainstream sports—were part of the Enhanced Games arsenal.
Despite the build-up, only one world record was broken during the night. British swimmer Ben Proud, a silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, came agonizingly close in the men’s 50-meter butterfly, clocking 22.32 seconds—just 0.05 seconds shy of Andrii Govorov’s official world record. "We all know what we came for. And that's world records. And so to be that agonizingly close, it's frustrating," Proud said after his race. Still, he walked away with the event win and a personal best.
On the track, American former world champion Fred Kerley, who insisted he competed “clean,” won the men’s 100 meters in 9.97 seconds. That time was well short of both Usain Bolt’s 9.58 world record and Kerley’s own personal best of 9.76 seconds. Kerley, banned from World Athletics competition for two years for failing drug-testing protocols, had boldly predicted Bolt’s record would fall. Instead, he found himself frustrated by multiple false starts and what he described as a lack of professionalism among some competitors. "You saw that, a lot of false starts, a lot of jumping. A lot of people don't want to run the heats and everything. They've got to do better than that," Kerley said, echoing the chaotic atmosphere that sometimes overshadowed the competition.
Weightlifting brought its own share of anticipation, especially with the presence of Hafthor “Thor” Björnsson—the “Mountain” from Game of Thrones—who attempted to break his own deadlift world record of 510kg. Despite a valiant effort, Björnsson managed 475kg, falling short of the mark but still impressing the crowd. Other notable winners included German swimmer Marius Kusch, who set a personal best in the men’s 100-meter butterfly and earned a $250,000 prize.
Health experts were quick to voice concerns about the risks of PED use, warning of potential life-shortening and even fatal consequences. Enhanced Games officials countered that all substances used were FDA-approved and administered under strict medical supervision. The debate over the ethics and safety of such open enhancement raged on, with mainstream sporting bodies threatening bans for participants and questioning the legitimacy of the results.
Organizers had predicted that “quite a few” world records would be shattered, but by the end of the night, only Gkolomeev had managed the feat. Thirteen athletes set personal bests, but for many, the dream of rewriting the record books remained just out of reach. The event’s results, while eye-catching, carry a permanent asterisk; the world’s sporting authorities have made it clear that no record set at the Enhanced Games will find its way into the official annals of history.
Still, for Gkolomeev and the other athletes who took part, the Enhanced Games offered both a lucrative payday and a unique platform to showcase what’s possible when science and sport collide. Whether the event marks the beginning of a new era or remains a one-off spectacle, it’s clear that the debate over enhancement in athletics is far from settled. As the lights dimmed on Las Vegas and the athletes collected their winnings, the world watched, wondered, and debated: is this the future of sport, or just a controversial detour?