- Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev posted an unofficial world-record time in the 50-meter freestyle, earning a $1 million prize.
- Non-enhanced athletes, including Fred Kerley and Tristan Evelyn, won marquee sprint events against competitors using performance-enhancing drugs.
- The event, backed by figures like Peter Thiel and Balaji Srinivasan, is framed as a science-driven alternative to traditional Olympic rules.
- Critics and official bodies like the World Anti-Doping Agency have rejected the competition’s legitimacy.
The first Enhanced Games concluded with a mixed outcome, featuring a record-breaking swim but also victories by clean athletes over their enhanced rivals. Organized by Australian lawyer Aron D’Souza and backed by investors like Peter Thiel and former Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan, the event aimed to challenge traditional anti-doping rules.
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev produced the standout performance, swimming 20.89 seconds in the men’s 50-meter freestyle. This unofficial time beat the world record and secured him a $1 million prize from organizers, according to investor Christian Angermayer.
However, the central premise was undercut in several events. American sprinter Fred Kerley, competing clean, won the men’s 100-meter final in 9.97 seconds. He reportedly mocked his enhanced competitors afterward, saying, “They gotta do better than that.”
Meanwhile, Tristan Evelyn won the women’s 100-meter final as a non-enhanced athlete. Swimmer Hunter Armstrong also beat enhanced competitors to win the men’s 50-meter backstroke.
Consequently, official bodies have rejected the event’s legitimacy. The World Anti-Doping Agency and World Aquatics stated performances will not count as official records. Critics, like author Brad Stulberg, called the Games “deeply unserious and stupid.”
Organizers nonetheless celebrated the event as a business success and a step toward the future. “We are just getting started!” Angermayer wrote, framing the Games as part of a broader biohacking and human enhancement movement.
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