Swimming-World Aquatics adopts bylaw to stop doping enablers amid Enhanced Games furore
FILE PHOTO: Swimming - European Aquatics Championships - Sports and Recreational Center Milan Gale Muskatirovic, Belgrade, Serbia - June 23, 2024 Gold medallist, Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev poses with his medal on the podium after winning the men's 50m freestyle final REUTERS/Novak Djurovic/File Photo
(Reuters) -World Aquatics introduced a new bylaw on Tuesday that will prevent any athlete or official who supports or endorses doping from competing or holding any positions after a Greek swimmer supported by the Enhanced Games 'broke' the world record.
With the help of the controversial programme, Greece's Kristian Gkolomeev swam the men's 50 metres freestyle in 20.89 seconds to shave 0.02 seconds off the long-standing record set by Brazil's Cesar Cielo in 2009.
Gkolomeev, who has competed at four Olympics and came fifth in the event at the Paris Games last year with a time of 21.59 seconds, said he had gained "an extra 10 pounds of muscle" before the attempt.
Enhanced Games had declined to disclose which "performance enhancements" the 31-year-old used.
"Individuals who support, endorse, or participate in sporting events that embrace the use of scientific advancements or other practices ... will not be eligible to hold positions with World Aquatics or to participate in any World Aquatics competitions, events, or other activities," World Aquatics said.
The practices can include either prohibited substances or prohibited methods.
"This ineligibility would apply to roles such as athlete, coach, team official, administrator, medical support staff, or government representative," the governing body added.
The Enhanced Games operate under the principle that banning performance-enhancing drugs in major competitions does not protect athletes but rather stifles their performance, and called on athletes to join the competition.
The World Anti-Doping Agency had condemned the Enhanced Games as "dangerous and irresponsible", while Olympic 50 metres freestyle champion Cam McEvoy said Gkolomeev's time was 'irrelevant' to the sport.
"Those who enable doped sport are not welcome at World Aquatics or our events," World Aquatics president Husain Al Musallam said.
"This new bylaw ensures that we can continue to protect the integrity of our competitions, the health and safety of our athletes, and the credibility of the global aquatics community."
The Enhanced Games have set their inaugural competition for May 2026 in Las Vegas, with swimming, athletics and weightlifting on the agenda.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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