In the documentary film 50 Meters To History, Brett Hawke talks about breaking the 50m pool swimming record as a wall coming down…it is legacy, it is an era that will be broken.
But what is behind his efforts and the highly touted Enhanced Games?
Kristian Gkolomeev (32, Greece, World Aquatic bio here) swam a 20.89 to break the world record for the 50m freestyle record of 20.91 set by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo (World Aquatic bio here) in 2009 under the old techsuit-allowed regulations after taking performance-enhancing drugs for two weeks. Gkolomeev used a full-length techsuit (illegal by current World Aquatics rules). He later swam 21.03 seconds in jammers (that comply with current World Aquatics regulations).
Even with what appeared to be a slow start and a poor finish, four-time Olympian Gkolomeev still swam fast in his 20.89 50m demonstration held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in North Carolina.
After two months of taking performance enhancing drugs when he gained 4.53 kg (10 lbs.) of muscle, the European champion Gkolomeev swam in the same lane at the same pool using legal jammers. His time of 21.03 was under the current jammer (textile) standard of 21.04 set by Caeleb Dressel (29, USA, World Aquatics bio here) in 2019.
For his effort, Gkolomeev earned US$1 million and the media onslaught began in earnest. Public interest is beginning to skyrocket in Enhanced.
But are all of these efforts and investment focused on simply setting a 50m world record – or something more commercial?
Enhanced is now selling US$99 subscriptions to register for a telehealth platform that sells some kind of performance-enhancing drug program. The platform will be launched in August. As the website promotes, “Boost testosterone & longevity…for generations, enhancements have been used by billionaires & elite athletes.”
The marketing platform sounds so enticing and so, literally, financially driven.
And subsequent announcements reiterated that observation: “…at a glitzy launch in Las Vegas, the Enhanced Games announced the city as the host of its inaugural event from 21-24 May 2026...”
The website promotes, “…clinician supervised enhancements — trusted by record-holding athletes — to boost testosterone, energy, and longevity.”
It sounds good, enticing, safe.
But is it?
In the documentary film, Australian Olympic swimmer James Magnussen (34, Australia, World Aquatics bio here) talked about his heart rate that has dropped to 32 beats per minute.
32 beats per minute?
Is that heart rate normal? Is it healthy? Is it sustainable? Is it safe?
For a 31-year-old? For a 41-year-old, 51-year-old, or 61-year-old?
Because others – of various ages and from various walks of life – will undoubtedly be allured by and will purchase the Enhanced Telehealth Program backed by 1789 Capital, a venture capital fund headed by Donald Trump Jr. who says, “The Enhanced Games represent the future – real competition, real freedom, and real records being smashed. This is about excellence, innovation, and American dominance on the world stage – something the MAGA movement is all about. The Enhanced Games are going to be huge, and I couldn’t be prouder to support this movement that is changing sports forever.”
1789 Capital founder Omeed Malik has another perspective, “The Enhanced Games aren’t just another sports league – they’re a declaration of freedom. We’re giving power back to the athletes and the fans, and I can’t wait to see history being made.”
In the United States alone, over 11 million testosterone treatments were prescribed in 2024, representing a US$736 million market with continued growth anticipated. Now, Enhanced is attempting to make these supplements (i.e., drugs) financially enticing, sexy, normal, and beneficial.
Will this desire to be enhanced spill over to the open water swimming world? Will ice swimmers start to be Enhanced? What about marathon swimmers look to be Enhanced? If Gkolomeev can get significantly faster from his fifth-place finish at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games (see official results below) with two months of training with performance-enhancing drugs, how much faster can an Enhanced swimmer improve over 1 km, 10 km, 33.5 km?
If money is the primary driver, how far will athletes be willing to go? What drugs – or surgical procedures – might they be willing to take to be Enhanced?
While a world record and money may be the motivations for athletes like Magnussen and Gkolomeev and coaches like Brett Hawke, just looking aesthetically better and swimming faster are huge motivators for many.
I personally appreciate and strongly encourage swimmers to simply train and perform to the best of their abilities – without performance-enhancing drugs. I love seeing and supporting swimmers who compete naturally with integrity, character, and honor – win, lose, or draw.
It is most likely that certain markets and arenas exist and may even flourish for the Enhanced Games and Enhanced athletes. As Enhanced supporters state, “We believe that benefits from science and technology can be used in sports safely and should be celebrated in athletic competitions. Enhanced affirms its paramount duty to protect the health and quality of life of its athletes. We have developed a comprehensive medical screening protocol and are hiring the best scientists and doctors to ensure that when our athletes become superhuman, they do so safely.“
Unlike Omeed Malik, I strongly prefer history to be made the old-fashioned way – by working hard, improving technique, eating nutritiously, and sleeping soundly. Unlike Trump Jr., I think real competition is when the playing field is level and athletes compete with their own God-given talents…sans performance-enhancing drugs.
But, it remains to be seen how many pool and open water swimmers will prefer to be Enhanced – and how large the testosterone and PED market will become
Follow-up Questions
I wonder…is there a direct correlation between use of PED’s and distance? That is, if a swimmer can drop a few tenths of a second over 50 meters, can a swimmer drop even more time over 100 meters or 200 meters or 400 meters or 800 meters?
Alternatively, if a swimmer can drop a few tenths of a second after 2 months of taking PED’s, can they drop even more time after taking PEDs for 6 months or 12 months or 24 months?
I wonder if Enhanced is studying such issues? I wonder if this information is already known by athletes and coaches in other sports like cycling, track and field, and powerlifting with experience in PED-taking?
Use of Vernacular
I understand that the Enhanced Games are not replicating Olympic swimming, but why do the Enhanced officials and promoters use terminology like “world records” while making a big deal fo adhering to the technical swim rules and equipment used by every national governing body (e.g., USA Swimming and Australia Swimming) and World Aquatics? They audaciously compare the Enhanced athletes to athletes who are competing under a separate and different set of rules.
The equivalent in the open water swimming world would be to equate an assisted swim where a wetsuit is worn with an unassisted swim where no wetsuit is worn – especially since the same terminology (e.g., world records) is used.
USA Swimming Letter to National Team Members
While other athletes are expected to participate in the Enhanced Games, largely due to its financial incentives, but also perhaps because they align their opinions with the Enhanced Games philosophy and perspectives, USA Swimming sent a stern warning to its fastest swimmers. The letter is reposted below:
National Team Athletes, Coaches, and Support Staff,
In light of recent announcements related to the Enhanced Games, we are reaching out to express our serious concerns regarding the potential participation of any USA Swimming member in this organization. The USA Swimming Athletes’ Advisory Council has also voiced deep apprehension surrounding the Enhanced Games, and we send this note with their support.
Even if you are not personally engaged in doping, affiliation with the Enhanced Games could significantly affect your ability to participate in future competitions due to U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (“USADA”) and World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”) rules and regulations. Therefore, we feel it is important to remind you of the relevant rules and risks surrounding doping activities within the Olympic Movement.
As you know, USA Swimming is obligated to adhere to the anti-doping rules of World Aquatics, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, USADA, and WADA. Thus, all USA Swimming members must comply with these rules as a condition of membership.
While participating in the Enhanced Games is not currently a rule violation, WADA has publicly condemned the Enhanced Games as “a dangerous and irresponsible concept.” You can find the complete WADA statement here.
WADA has further “warn[ed] athletes and support personnel who wish to participate in sport regulated by the World Anti-Doping Code, that if they were to participate in the Enhanced Games, they would risk committing anti-doping rule violations under the Code.” USADA also has information on its website outlining the risks associated with participation in the Enhanced Games.
Please note that any involvement can lead to anti-doping rule violations, as there are rules prohibiting association with certain individuals serving a period of ineligibility for an anti-doping violation. If you are considering participating in the Enhanced Games in any capacity, whether as a coach, athlete, official, or support personnel, or even in a governance or business capacity, we urge you to carefully consider the serious impact an anti-doping violation could have on your livelihood, future career, and reputation within the sport and the Olympic Movement.
Finally, if you are contacted by a member of the media regarding the Enhanced Games, please feel free to contact Nikki Warner or another USA Swimming communications staff member. We are happy to assist with redirecting media requests to USA Swimming and/or providing accurate information if you choose to provide a comment.
We also want to inform you that the Enhanced Games is actively recruiting athletes. If you are contacted by a representative of the Enhanced Games, please feel free to notify Michelle Steinfeld at USA Swimming. Additionally, if you have any questions or concerns or would like independent, confidential advice, you can reach out to the Team USA Athlete Ombudsman. Your well-being and integrity as an athlete are our top priorities.
USA Swimming remains committed to clean sport. We will continue to comply with all applicable anti-doping rules and regulations. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
USA Swimming Letter to All Members
In light of recent announcements related to the Enhanced Games, we are reaching out to express our serious concerns. USA Swimming remains committed to clean sport, and the Enhanced Games present a dangerous alternative to that ideal. Fair competition and athlete safety are foundational to Olympic competition, and the Enhanced Games openly threaten both.
USA Swimming athlete members are obligated to adhere to the anti-doping rules of World Aquatics, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (“USADA”), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”). Even if athletes are not personally engaged in doping, affiliation with the Enhanced Games could significantly affect their ability to participate in future competitions due to USADA and WADA rules and regulations. Non-athlete members are also bound by these rules as a condition of membership, and there are doping violations that have nothing to do with the ingestion of a performance-enhancing drug. For example, it violates the WADA code to assist, encourage, aid, abet, conspire, or offer any other complicit behavior related to an anti-doping violation. Additionally, there are rules prohibiting association with certain individuals serving periods of ineligibility for anti-doping violations.
While participating in the Enhanced Games (as an athlete or non-athlete) is not currently a rule violation, WADA has publicly condemned the Enhanced Games as “a dangerous and irresponsible concept.” You can find the complete WADA statement here.
WADA has further “warn[ed] athletes and support personnel who wish to participate in sport regulated by the World Anti-Doping Code, that if they were to participate in the Enhanced Games, they would risk committing anti-doping rule violations under the Code.” Please note that per the WADA definition, “support personnel” includes coaches, trainers, managers, agents, team staff, officials, medical, paramedical personnel, parents or any other person working with, treating or assisting an athlete participating in or preparing for competition. USADA also has information on its website outlining the risks associated with participation in the Enhanced Games.
If you are considering participating in the Enhanced Games in any capacity, whether as a coach, athlete, official, or other support personnel, or even in a governance or business capacity, we urge you to carefully consider the serious impact an anti-doping violation from USADA or WADA could have on your livelihood, future career, and reputation within the sport and the Olympic Movement. USA Swimming will continue to comply with all applicable anti-doping rules and regulations.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Statement by Swimming Canada High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson
On behalf of Swimming Canada I reiterate our unwavering commitment to clean sport and sport integrity by all involved in swimming in Canada. In no way do we endorse involvement in the Enhanced Games for any Canadian athlete, coach, support staff, science & medicine staff, or anyone else affiliated with Swimming Canada and/or our national teams. Any affiliation with the Enhanced Games could have long-term consequences to your health and to future sport involvement, including potential anti-doping violations.
We all have a responsibility to uphold the values of clean sport, ensuring a level playing field that prioritizes athlete health and wellness. This will continue to be our clear stance on this subject, supporting without hesitation the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the World Aquatics position on clean sport and integrity within sport.
2024 Paris Olympics Men’s 50m Freestyle Results
- Cameron Mcevoy, Australia 21.25
- Benjamin Proud, Great Britain 21.30
- Florent Manaudou, France 21.56
- Joshua Liendo, Canada 21.58
- Kristian Gkolomeev, Greece 21.59
- Caeleb Dressel, USA 21.61
- Leonardo Deplano, Italy 21.62
- Jordan Crooks, Cayman Islands 21.64
© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“
A World Open Water Swimming Federation project.