Megan Romano Announced as First Female Participant in Enhanced Games
In May, the Enhanced Games announced its inaugural event would take place Memorial Day Weekend 2026 and the first four swimmers who had committed to the event. The announcement also revealed that one of those swimmers, Greece’s Kristian Gkolomeev, had gone under the world record in the men’s 50 freestyle after using performance-enhancing drugs and wearing a banned polyurethane suit.
Now, the Enhanced Games has received a commitment from a female swimmer, Megan Romano. Romano is a former University of Georgia swimmer who excelled in the sprint and mid-distance freestyle events. Romano is slated to compete in the 50 and 100 free at the first Enhanced Games, and the press release covering her addition noted she would receive a bonus for swimming under the world record in either event (23.61 in the 50 free and 51.71 in the 100 free).
“I’m incredibly excited to join the Enhanced Games and be part of a movement that is truly athlete-first,” Romano said in the release. “This is an opportunity to push the boundaries of human performance in a transparent and scientifically-backed environment, and to compete on a stage where female athletes are valued and compensated fairly (and) equally. I believe this is the future of sport.”
“Having a female athlete of Megan’s caliber, a four-time world champion, join the Enhanced Games is a monumental step forward,” Enhanced Games official Maximilian Martin said in the release. “Her decision validates our vision of creating a platform where athletic potential is maximized, celebrated, and fairly rewarded, regardless of gender or origin. Megan is truly an inspiration and her courage paves the way for many more women to join the Enhanced Games. “
Romano narrowly missed making the U.S. Olympic team in 2012, finishing seventh at Olympic Trials in the 200 free, and she would post the top achievement of her career within the next 14 months. She swam at the 2012 Short Course World Championships and won four medals, including two golds on relays and silver in the 100 freestyle, and she helped the Bulldogs to an NCAA team title in March 2013.
The following summer, she qualified for the American team bound for the Barcelona World Championships and helped the 400 and 800 freestyle relays win gold. Romano also raced at the World University Games in 2011 and 2013 and combined for 10 medals.
Romano last competed at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, where she ended up 23rd in the 200 free and 69th in the 100 free.
Since the announcement of the Enhanced Games, the organization has been widely condemned within the sporting community. World Aquatics announced it would ban any swimmers associated with the Enhanced organization, even if they did not take banned substances themselves, and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) called for the event’s cancellation.
Read the full announcement from Enhanced Games here.