Former Greek Olympian Kristian Gkolomeev went under the world record in the men’s 50 freestyle (LCM) during filming for the Enhanced Games’ documentary, as caught on video by Brett Hawke and posted to YouTube on Wednesday.
Gkolomeev, 31, fired off a time of 20.89, dipping under the 16-year-old super-suited world record of 20.91 set by Brazilian Cesar Cielo in 2009.
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Gkolomeev said he had been taking performance-enhancing drugs for just two weeks prior to delivering this swim. The swim was officiated, it’s worth noting.
He was also wearing a Jaked suit, one of the brands that was at the forefront of the now-banned polyurethane suits that saw numerous world records fall in 2009. The super-suits have been banned since January 1, 2010.
During the Enhanced Games press conference launch, a video also shows Gkolomeev clock 21.03 in the 50 free wearing a jammer, dipping under Caeleb Dressel‘s mark of 21.04, which stands as the fastest textile swim ever.
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Gkolomeev said that in his 20.89 swim, he was only two weeks into taking performance-enhancing drugs and weighed 203 pounds. In the second attempt with the jammer, he was two months into taking PEDs and had gained 10 pounds of muscle.
Last year, Australian James Magnussen was the first well-known athlete to declare his intention of competing in the Enhanced Games, and it was confirmed he would earn a $1 million check if he broke the 50 free world record.
Hawke posted a picture of Gkolomeev with a $1 million check on his Instagram Stories. Based on the check, the swim was produced in February at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
Gkolomeev’s official personal best time stands at 21.44, set at the 2018 European Championships where he won the silver medal. That was the first of four straight 50 free medals for Gkolomeev at LC Euros—last summer, he won gold at the 2024 edition in a time of 21.72.
He also won silver at the 2019 World Championships in the 50 free, tying with Brazilian Bruno Fratus in 21.45.
Gkolomeev’s last sanctioned competition was the Paris Olympics, where he placed 5th in the final in a time of 21.59. He also tied for 5th at the Tokyo Olympics (21.72) and placed 13th in Rio (21.98). He also raced in London in 2012, placing 31st in the 100 free.
Gkolomeev attended college in the United States, competing for Alabama and winning individual NCAA titles in the 50 free in 2014 and the 100 free in 2015.
A full 61-minute documentary has also been uploaded on YouTube detailing Gkolomeev’s path to going 20.89:
A disgrace, I am sickened and saddened
This combination of the suit and the drugs is really stupid because now there is no way of determining how much each factor contributed to the result.
This is awesome! Hope we see some other big names with some big times!
Okay, but by the Enhanced Games “anything goes” rule, surely Mauricio Fernandez’s 15.00 50m Free in a monofin is the “fastest swimmer in history”?
Next up we’re allowing fins and an air jet engine
Every single Olympic finalist could probably break the world record in a poly suit.
Gkolomeev absolutely swindled the enhanced games organizers.
Not in a 50. He also got under the textile best
Can anyone list all the doping methods he used?
That’s what I want to know!
As a former team mate of his at Alabama, I have zero respect for him. He was all about himself back then (did not buy into team or what Denny was trying to promote), and I don’t now.
He probably didn’t like you either
Are you trying to save Denny’s reputation here? It’s not working. Gkolomeev is Dennis Pursley’s legacy.
Yeah IDK what your beef is but I can say with confidence that Pursley is definitely vehemently against this.
Regardless, Brett Hawke going full kamikaze mode to tarnish the reputation of an athlete who was a HUGE and possibly the most important part of the initial team led by Pursley that completely unraveled the Auburn program he led is some next level spite. I would not be shocked at all if he reached out to other members of that team that were still competing. This could be the ultimate 4D chess move by a rival in the sport.
Obviously a lot of speculation in this comment, but with the media everyone consumes, everything starts to feel like a plot twist waiting to happen. Could make for some good cinema and money shift though once these billionaire realize how bad of an investment this league is.
The investment is not in the league. The investment is in “biohacking,” which the uber-rich are obsessed with these days.
Even Life Time Fitness is getting into the business of biohacking: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-fitness-longevity-how-life-time-building-one-stop-ecosystem-djmxf/
You can definitely tell they were angling this in that way on their website. Still, this is A LOT different than normal bio hacking.