Enhanced Games Defends Controversial Swim Record Timing Amid Online Skepticism]

The Enhanced Games has pushed back against social media speculation that a world record swim was incorrectly timed, dismissing the claims as baseless.

Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev clocked 20.81 seconds in the men’s 50m freestyle on Sunday, surpassing the official world record of 20.88 seconds held by Australia’s Cameron McEvoy by 0.07 seconds. However, the time does not count officially, as Gkolomeev competed using performance-enhancing drugs banned by WADA and wore a prohibited skinsuit, both believed to offer around 2% performance advantages.

An Enhanced Games representative stated that timing was handled by Primetime Timing, a recognized ISO-certified system used in numerous international competitions without prior scrutiny. “Any suggestion that Kristian’s time is illegitimate is disrespectful to his achievement, highly speculative, completely unfounded and largely internet drivel that we reject,” the spokesperson said.

They added that staff fully cooperated with anti-doping officials who arrived unannounced during the event, emphasizing Enhanced Games’ commitment to respecting other sporting bodies. The organization also noted that 22 personal best performances were recorded at the event.

Primetime Timing reportedly stood by its system’s certification and integrity. Enhanced Games said certified Meet Administration Officials verified the timing setup throughout the competition and that 200+ journalists from 25 countries were given access to review the facilities.

While Enhanced Games CEO Max Martin celebrated the event’s cultural impact, McEvoy expressed doubt online, writing, “Seriously?! That’s all you got!”

This isn’t the first timing controversy in swimming history—during the 2008 Olympics, Michael Phelps’ 100m butterfly victory was protested due to touchpad pressure concerns.

Some observers suggested the timing discrepancy may have stemmed from a synchronization issue between the official clock and the livestream feed.

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