Summary
- Kristian Gkolomeev from Greece set an unofficial world record in the men’s 50-meter freestyle.
- Clean athletes claimed victory in both the men’s 100-meter sprint and the men’s 50-meter backstroke.
- Weightlifting showcased some of the most intense performances related to enhancement drugs.
The inaugural Enhanced Games concluded with a surprising mix of outcomes, including a record-breaking swim, impressive weightlifting feats, and unenhanced athletes outperforming their enhanced counterparts in key events.
In a standout moment, Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev clocked an impressive 20.89 seconds in the men’s 50-meter freestyle, surpassing the official world record and securing a $1 million prize from the event organizers.
“The [Enhanced Games] last Saturday were not only a spectacular event–they were also a major business success,” stated Christian Angermayer, co-founder and investor of the Enhanced Games, on X.
However, the results raised questions about the core idea behind the Enhanced Games, as several athletes using performance-enhancing drugs were defeated by competitors competing clean.
American sprinter Fred Kerley, participating as a non-enhanced athlete, won the men’s 100-meter final in 9.97 seconds, falling 0.39 seconds short of Usain Bolt’s 2009 world record of 9.58 seconds, despite predictions that Bolt's record would be “destroyed.”
While he did not break the world record, Kerley reportedly mocked the enhanced athletes he faced, saying, “They gotta do better than that. They need to train a little harder, get on that shit a little bit more, and go a little harder some more,” in an interview post-race according to SB Nation.
In the women’s 100-meter final, Tristan Evelyn emerged victorious against five enhanced competitors, while swimmer Hunter Armstrong defeated two enhanced rivals to win the men’s 50-meter backstroke.
This event culminated a long campaign led by Aron D’Souza, an Australian lawyer who previously played a significant role in Peter Thiel’s lawsuit against Gawker Media. D’Souza established the Enhanced Games in 2024, receiving backing from notable figures including Donald Trump Jr., Peter Thiel, and former Coinbase CTO Balaji Srinivasan. He contends that current anti-doping regulations are outdated.
“The Olympics are all about the past, they're about Ancient Greece,” D’Souza previously remarked to Decrypt. “They're about this natural sports ethos, and they're stuck in the past. We're about the future, science, and progress. We're about acceleration.”
Organizers have positioned the Enhanced Games as part of a wider movement surrounding biohacking, longevity research, and human enhancement, with renowned biohacker Bryan Johnson serving as a host.
“I’m cohosting the Enhanced Games this Sunday, first time as a broadcaster,” Johnson wrote on X. “I spent the week with the athletes and doctors. So many moving stories of courage and triumph.”
The competition highlights the increasing intersection between Silicon Valley’s optimization culture and elite sports. While organizers present the Games as a scientifically-informed alternative to Olympic regulations, critics argue it normalizes risky drug use for entertainment and profit.
“Everything about the enhanced games seems so deeply unserious and stupid,” commented author Brad Stulberg on X.
How effective were the enhanced games at enhancing?
They somehow took near world-class sprinters, doped them, and made them slower...
Not just from their PRs, but from last season...and in most cases, slower than a good HS runner...
Here's the details: pic.twitter.com/MZw8ysZodA
— Steve Magness (@stevemagness) May 25, 2026
Both the World Anti-Doping Agency and World Aquatics have dismissed the legitimacy of the competition, stating that performances from the Games will not be recognized as official records. Nevertheless, organizers assert that the Enhanced Games represent the future of athletics.
“Now that we have broken the ice and proven the Games can be done at the highest level, I expect many more partnerships to be signed in the months ahead,” Angermayer stated. “We are just getting started!”