Olympic gold medalist Hunter Armstrong<\/strong><\/a> left the inaugural Enhanced Games with $375,000 in prize money after two podium finishes.<\/p>\n Competing clean, non-enhanced athlete, Armstrong won the men\u2019s 50 backstroke in 24.21 racing in a polyurethane \u201csuper suit.\u201d That swim earned him $250,000, though it was about half a second off his American record of 23.71. He returned in the 100 freestyle, finishing 2nd in 48.0 behind Kristian Gkolomeev<\/strong><\/a>, who won in 46.6. Armstrong\u2019s lifetime best is 47.59. He added another $125,000, bringing his total Enhanced Games payday to $375,000.<\/p>\n In this GMM takeover of the SwimSwam Podcast, Armstrong joins us for a full debrief on the event, the money, the testing, and whether he plans to continue with the Enhanced Games.<\/p>\n PODCAST TOPICS COVERED:<\/strong><\/p>\n The end of the podcast might be the most interesting topic. Armstrong reports that eight USA Swimming National Teamers (World Champions and Olympic gold medalists among them) asked how to enter the next Enhanced Games.<\/p>\n Armstrong says he believed the 50 back world record was within reach, but that he held back because he did not have enough experience racing in a super suit. Specifically, he feared a DQ by kicking past the 15-meter mark underwater.<\/p>\n Armstrong says his 48.0 in the 100 free may have been the better swim.<\/p>\n He also reveals that since announcing in March 2026 that he would compete at the Enhanced Games, he has been drug tested 11 times. For context, Armstrong says his previous most-tested year was six tests, and that came in the year he broke a world record. He was also tested at the Enhanced Games event itself.<\/p>\n Armstrong takes listeners behind the scenes of the athlete experience in Las Vegas, describing what he says was a vastly different environment from the traditional World Aquatics experience. He details the \u201cwhite-glove\u201d treatment athletes received, from food and travel to event management and overall support.<\/p>\n Competing clean, did Armstrong enjoy beating enhanced athletes? His answer is nuanced, but it makes sense.<\/p>\n Armstrong also discusses whether he plans to continue with the Enhanced Games, and if so, why.<\/p>\n Given the number of tests he says he has undergone since announcing his participation, Armstrong weighs in on whether he believes World Aquatics will allow him to race at the 2027 World Championships in Budapest and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n The conversation also covers how much financial support Armstrong is receiving beyond his $375,000 in prize money, including salary, expenses, and training support.<\/p>\n Armstrong comments on IOC president Kirsty Coventry<\/a>\u2019s now widely discussed statement that she does not believe Olympic athletes should be paid<\/a>. The comment drew criticism from elite athletes who continue to train and compete without meaningful financial security.<\/p>\n Armstrong also reacts to the Enhanced Games\u2019 stated plans to pay athletes more in the future. Enhanced Games CEO Maximilian Martin<\/a> recently announced a $10 million prize<\/a> for any athlete who breaks Usain Bolt\u2019s 100m world record at the 2027 Enhanced Games.<\/p>\n In Armstrong\u2019s previous SwimSwam Podcast appearance, he said he would never race enhanced, even after retiring from Olympic sport. We ask him the question again now that he has gone through the training and event experience. This time, his answer is more nuanced. Listen and judge for yourself.<\/p>\n Armstrong also responds to SwimSwam\u2019s coverage of the Enhanced Games, including Editor-in-Chief Braden Keith\u2019s assessment that the debut event was \u201cmostly an infomercial parading as a sporting spectacle<\/a>,\u201d and that it did not solve the troubled economics of Olympic sports or offer much for the traditional sports world to copy.<\/p>\n The podcast runs just over an hour. If we missed any questions, drop them in the comments. Armstrong will come back with an insider point of view.<\/p>\n Follow\u00a0Hunter Armstrong<\/strong><\/a> on\u00a0Instagram here.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Follow Gold Medal Mel on\u00a0Instagram here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/swimswam.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/gmmswimoutlet-page.gif\")
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