LAS VEGAS : Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev pocketed another $1 million bonus after posting an unofficial world-record time at the controversial Enhanced Games on Sunday, while American sprinter Fred Kerley failed to threaten Usain Bolt’s 100 metres mark in the event’s much-hyped debut in Las Vegas.
Gkolomeev clocked 20.81 seconds in the men’s 50m freestyle, beating the official world record of 20.88 set by Australia’s Cameron McEvoy earlier this year.
The time, achieved with the use of now-banned polyurethane “super-suits” and under rules permitting performance-enhancing substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), will not be recognised by global governing bodies.
Organisers nevertheless hailed the swim as a “world record” and awarded the Bulgaria-born Greek swimmer a $1 million bonus, in addition to the $250,000 prize for winning the race.
Gkolomeev, who never won an Olympic medal across four Games appearances, celebrated poolside with his family after the swim.
“Great race. I had a lot of fun. This is amazing,” the 32-year-old said.
“I had a mistake on the break-out and I got a little bit nervous, but then the rest of the swimming was good, so I got it.
“This is going to change my life for the good, for sure. It’s a big help for me and my family.”
It marked the second time Gkolomeev earned a seven-figure reward at the Enhanced Games after organisers last year paid him a similar bonus for a 20.89-second swim in a super-suit.
The Enhanced Games, which openly encourage the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs, have drawn fierce criticism from traditional sporting authorities.
World Aquatics previously described the concept as “a circus built on short-cuts”, while WADA has warned athletes risk both sanctions and serious health consequences.
McEvoy, whose officially recognised world record came at a sanctioned meet in China in March, received no comparable financial reward.
“It’s crazy to think that to get a world record without a suit, and without any performance-enhancing drugs, as a clean athlete, the bonus is zero dollars,” McEvoy said earlier this year.
On the track, former world champion Kerley won the men’s 100m in 9.97 seconds, well outside his personal best of 9.76 and nowhere near Bolt’s world record of 9.58.
Kerley, currently serving a two-year ban from World Athletics competition for failing drug-testing protocols, had said before the event that he was capable of attacking Bolt’s mark despite claiming he would compete clean.
Instead, the American expressed frustration over repeated false starts and delays during the race.
“You saw that, a lot of false starts, a lot of jumping,” Kerley said.
“A lot of people don’t want to run the heats and everything. They’ve got to do better than that.”
Kerley also collected $250,000 for his victory.
Only Kerley broke the 10-second barrier in the final, prompting widespread mockery on social media despite the event’s permissive rules around enhancement.
Held in a casino car park in Las Vegas, the inaugural Enhanced Games drew around 2,000 spectators, largely made up of family members, friends and social media influencers, according to local media reports.
