Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev earned a $1 million (€860,000) bonus at the inaugural Enhanced Games in Las Vegas after clocking 20.81 seconds in the 50-metre freestyle, faster than the officially recognised world record.

The 32-year-old swimmer, who competed in four Olympic Games without winning a medal, bettered the official mark of 20.88 seconds set by Australian swimmer Cameron McEvoy earlier this year at the Chinese Swimming Open.

However, the time will not be recognised as an official world record because the Enhanced Games permits athletes to use performance-enhancing substances banned in conventional sport.

The controversial competition has drawn heavy criticism from sporting authorities worldwide. World Aquatics condemned the event as a “circus, built on short-cuts”, while several health experts warned about the potential long-term dangers of the substances being used.

Gkolomeev, who also competed wearing a synthetic “supersuit” prohibited in Olympic swimming for years, celebrated the achievement and the financial reward.

“Great race. I had a lot of fun. This is amazing,” he said after the event. Speaking about the prize money, he added: “This is going to change my life for the better, for sure.”

Athletes at the Enhanced Games receive $1 million bonuses for surpassing world records, while event winners are awarded $250,000.

Despite organisers predicting multiple record-breaking performances, only one recognised benchmark was surpassed during the opening weekend.

British Olympic silver medallist Ben Proud narrowly missed breaking the men’s 50-metre butterfly record, winning the event in 22.32 seconds, just 0.05 seconds outside the official mark.

“We all know what we came for, and that’s world records,” Proud said. “To be that agonisingly close, it’s frustrating.”

German swimmer Marius Kusch claimed victory in the 100-metre butterfly and collected €250,000 after beating his personal best by 0.07 seconds.

In athletics, former world champion Fred Kerley won the men’s 100 metres in 9.97 seconds, well short of his personal best of 9.76 seconds and slower than the times recorded by finalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Kerley, who stated he was competing drug-free, had previously claimed that Usain Bolt’s long-standing 100-metre world record of 9.58 seconds could be “destroyed” at the event.

Organisers dismissed criticism surrounding athlete safety, insisting that all substances used were medically supervised and approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

The event’s parent company, Enhanced, also markets several of the substances used by competitors and argues that anti-doping restrictions limit human athletic potential.

Among the high-profile investors linked to the event were billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr..