At 14:00 on Wednesday 10 September, it was announced that Ben Proud, one of Britain and Team GB's most decorated sprint swimmers, officially joined the Enhanced Games, becoming the first British athlete to do so. It is fair to say this marks a significant shift in his career and has sparked widespread discussion across the sporting world.
I wrote about the Enhanced Games in July last year, on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Since then, the first $1 million prize has been awarded to Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev for "breaking" the 50m freestyle world record. This is Ben Proud's signature event, so all eyes will be on Proud in Las Vegas in May 2026 when the inaugural Enhanced Games take place.
A New Chapter in Proud's Career
Proud, aged 30, had a stellar career representing Great Britain. He won silver in the 50m freestyle at both the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. He also won world titles in the 50m butterfly (2017) and 50m freestyle (2022). In 2022, he became the first swimmer to win World, Commonwealth, European and British titles in the same year.
Despite these achievements, Proud has now expressed a desire to push beyond the boundaries of traditional sport and taken a path that breaks with convention.
“My ambition has always been to be the fastest man on the planet,” he said. “Now, I want to focus on performance at its highest level and challenge myself in new ways. The Enhanced Games gives me that chance, to test the limits of human potential with the tools and possibilities of our time.”
What Are the Enhanced Games?
Founded in 2023, the Enhanced Games are a controversial new sporting event that allows athletes to compete using performance-enhancing "substances" under medical supervision. The Games aim to redefine elite competition by embracing scientific and medical advancements, with "strict" health monitoring and FDA approved substances.
The inaugural event is scheduled for 21–24 May 2026 at Resorts World Las Vegas. It will feature short-distance swimming, sprinting and weightlifting. Athletes are paid for their participation and million-pound prizes are offered for breaking world records.
Why the 50m Freestyle Is the Crown Jewel
The men's 50m freestyle is the purest test of speed in swimming. It is over in less than 22 seconds, with no turns, no pacing and no margin for error. In the Enhanced Games, this event becomes a showcase for human potential pushed to its absolute limit.
In May 2025, Gkolomeev clocked 20.89 seconds under Enhanced Games conditions, which was faster than the official world record of 20.91 set by César Cielo in 2009. This has raised the stakes dramatically, especially for Ben Proud, who admitted that seeing someone go faster than the record was “slightly hard to take.”
The 50m freestyle’s rise in prominence owes much to the Australian Olympic champion Cameron McEvoy, who has revolutionised sprint training. Treating the event as a pure strength discipline rather than a traditional swimming race, McEvoy slashed his pool mileage from 30 kilometres per week to just two. He replaced laps with heavy gym work; weighted pull-ups, explosive dips and compound lifts, he also incorporated cutting-edge technology like force-measuring blocks and video analytics to refine his every movement during the race.
The results were emphatic: McEvoy won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, prompting a shift in how coaches and athletes train for the event. His success helped redefine the 50m freestyle as a power sport, making it an ideal centrepiece for the Enhanced Games. It is now widely seen as the showpiece event for May 2026.
Proud’s Perspective on Doping and Clean Sport
While the Enhanced Games permit enhancements, Proud has been clear about his stance. He stated that he would never do anything to undermine clean sport and sees the Enhanced Games as a separate entity.
“I see doping in clean sports as a complete no-go,” he said. “The Enhanced Games give me a new opportunity to continue this pursuit and see how far I can take things.”
He also emphasised that he has not yet decided whether to use any substances and will only do so under strict medical guidance.
“They are not asking me to take anything,” he said. “I have the next few months to figure out what it is. After that, ultimately, I have the decision to say I want to take it or not.”
The Rivalry and the Stakes
With Proud, Gkolomeev, and Australian Olympic medallist James Magnussen all targeting sub-21-second swims, the 50m freestyle at the Enhanced Games will not just be a race, it will be part experiment, part philosophical clash and part spectacle.
And with million-pound prizes on the line for record-breaking performances, the stakes have never been higher.
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