Australian world record-breaking swimmer Cam McEvoy has taken a clear swipe at the inaugural Enhanced Games after Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev swam faster than McEvoy's official 50m freestyle world record time while using performance-enhancing drugs. The event, held on Monday in Las Vegas, promotes a pro-doping ethos that has been widely condemned by global sporting authorities.
McEvoy's Reaction
McEvoy, who set the official 50m world record of 20.88 seconds in March this year and won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, posted a sarcastic response on social media: “Seriously?! That’s all you got!” His comment came after Gkolomeev clocked 20.81 seconds in the 50m freestyle, beating McEvoy's time by 0.07 seconds. However, this result will not be recognized as an official world record due to Gkolomeev's use of banned substances and his wearing of a race suit that has been prohibited by swimming authorities for years.
Enhanced Games Controversy
The Enhanced Games, which openly encourages the use of performance-enhancing drugs, has faced widespread criticism from the World Anti-Doping Agency and other sports organizations. Gkolomeev's time was the only sub-world record performance at the Games, which offered a $1 million USD ($1.39 million AUD) bonus for breaking a world record. Gkolomeev expressed satisfaction with the prize money, stating, “I’m going to say it’s not bad at all. This is going to change my life to the good, for sure. And yeah, I’m going to continue next year. Maybe I’ll break it again.”
Magnussen's Performance
The event was disappointing for Australia's only competitor, James “The Missile” Magnussen. The 35-year-old, who was the first athlete signed to the Enhanced Games, finished last in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events. Magnussen recorded times of 22.35 seconds in the 50m and 49.44 seconds in the 100m, well outside the personal bests he set over a decade ago. Gkolomeev won the 100m freestyle in 46.6 seconds, just shy of the official world record of 46.4 seconds set by China's Pan Zhanle at the Paris Olympics.
Financial Incentives
The financial lure of the Enhanced Games was significant for Magnussen, a two-time Olympian and dual 100m freestyle world champion who retired from swimming in 2018. The performance-enhancing drugs used by Magnussen and other athletes are marketed and sold by The Enhanced Group, the organization behind the Games.
