The Enhanced Games is betting big on steroids. Wil...
Key takeaways
- No one in the sprawling casino one floor below was having a better night.
- An hour earlier, Gkolomeev had provided a dramatic finale to the inaugural Enhanced Games by swimming the fastest recorded 50-meter freestyle in history -- 20.81 seconds.
- In the ballroom in Las Vegas, a reporter asked what message Gkolomeev hoped his highlight victory would send to a sporting public that has largely scoffed at Enhanced's plans to create an athletic spectacle.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
No one in the sprawling casino one floor below was having a better night.
An hour earlier, Gkolomeev had provided a dramatic finale to the inaugural Enhanced Games by swimming the fastest recorded 50-meter freestyle in history -- 20.81 seconds. He was aided by an eight-week regimen of performance-enhancing drugs and the type of polyurethane "supersuits" banned in traditional swimming competitions. Beating the current world record time earned the former Olympian a $1 million bonus on top of $500,000 in prize money for winning a pair of races at the first-of-its-kind event. Less than two years after signing with the controversial company, which is using sporting events to promote its online telehealth business, Gkolomeev has netted close to $3 million in earnings.
In the ballroom in Las Vegas, a reporter asked what message Gkolomeev hoped his highlight victory would send to a sporting public that has largely scoffed at Enhanced's plans to create an athletic spectacle. Before he could answer, swimming coach Brett Hawke jumped in to answer.