Enhanced Games chief Maximilian Martin insisted the controversial competition had “changed the world” despite organisers managing to oversee just one unofficial world record during a chaotic night in Las Vegas.
The long-awaited event had promised to revolutionise sport through the use of performance-enhancing drugs, with organisers repeatedly boasting that athletes would smash multiple world records and redefine human limits.
Instead, after more than five hours of competition involving swimmers, sprinters and weightlifters, only one athlete managed to produce a performance faster than an existing recognised world best.
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev clocked 20.81 seconds in the men’s 50m freestyle, narrowly quicker than the official mark set by Australia’s Cameron McEvoy earlier this year.
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The swim will not be recognised officially due to the event permitting banned substances and outlawed performance-enhancing skinsuits.
But that did little to dampen the mood of organisers, with Enhanced Games CEO Martin dramatically celebrating poolside after the result finally arrived late in the evening.
“We have arrived in mainstream culture,” Martin declared.
“We are here to stay. We have changed the world tonight.”
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev clocked 20.81 seconds in the men’s 50m freestyle, narrowly quicker than the official mark set by Australia’s Cameron McEvoy earlier this year
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The comments were among the boldest yet from organisers, who launched the Enhanced Games in 2023 amid fierce backlash from anti-doping bodies and sporting authorities.
Martin continued addressing a crowd packed with fitness influencers, investors and biotech figures.
“With the power of enhancements we can prove we are the best we can ever think of,” he said.
“For the last three days Enhanced took over the internet. Enhanced is culture.”
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Ben Proud pictured speaking ahead of the Enhanced Games | GETTYThroughout the event, giant screens openly displayed the substances competitors were reportedly using, including testosterone esters, human growth hormone, stimulants and EPO.
Despite the event’s controversial premise, several athletes competing without banned substances still emerged victorious.
Former Olympic silver medallist Fred Kerley won the men’s 100m before aiming a pointed message at his rivals.
“Man, they need to do better than that,” he said.
“They need to work a little bit harder, get on that shit a little bit more.”
Drug-free sprinter Tristan Evelyn also triumphed in the women’s 100m with a modest 11.25-second finish before delivering a pointed statement of her own.
“This proves that winning takes more than chemistry,” she said.
That was hardly the narrative organisers had hoped would dominate the inaugural Games.
Even Icelandic strongman Thor Bjornsson, famous for his role in Game of Thrones, failed to ignite the crowd after missing out on a new deadlift best
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Kerley, Evelyn and Australian swimmer Hunter Armstrong, another clean athlete who won the men’s 50m backstroke, each walked away with prize money worth around £185,000.
For much of the evening, however, the atmosphere inside the Las Vegas venue appeared flat as one highly-publicised world record attempt after another failed to materialise.
Even Icelandic strongman Thor Bjornsson, famous for his role in Game of Thrones, failed to ignite the crowd after missing out on a new deadlift best.
The 6ft 7in giant attempted to surpass his previous mark of 510kg but could not complete the lift despite an explosive effort in front of spectators.
British swimmer Ben Proud emerged among the biggest financial winners after pocketing roughly £375,000 by winning the 50m butterfly and finishing second in the freestyle final.
“When I heard about the Enhanced Games I felt I had got a lottery ticket,” Proud said.
“I thought I could get a good life out of this. Boom! I’m here.”
His partner Emily Barclay also enjoyed a lucrative evening after winning the women’s 50m freestyle before placing second in the 100m.