Australian swimmers chasing glory in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games pool have a serious financial motivation to perform, with billionaire Gina Rinehart set to reward members of the Dolphins squad who claim medals or set world records.
The incentive scheme means individual swimmers stand to collect $20,000 for every gold medal they win, $15,000 for each silver and $10,000 for each bronze. Anyone who touches the wall in a world record time will earn a $30,000 bonus.
The rewards extend to relay squads too. Each member of a relay team will receive $7500 for a world record, $5000 for a gold, $3750 for a silver and $2500 for a bronze.
“There is something very uplifting about seeing an Australian athlete stand on the podium while our flag is raised,” the mining magnate said. “Such exciting times make Australians proud and deserve to be celebrated.”
She confirmed the payments would apply across the board for those who succeed more than once. “Athletes who win multiple medals will receive a payment for every medal they win, with payments deposited directly into their accounts within two weeks of the Games concluding,” Rinehart said.
Rinehart serves as patron of the Australian Dolphins Swim Team, Swimming WA, Swimming QLD, Rowing Australia and Artistic Swimming Australia. Her intervention came at a significant moment, with several of the country’s leading swimmers reportedly weighing up whether to skip the Commonwealth Games and instead direct their attention to the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in August.
“These bonuses are a way of Australia saying thank you and showing the appreciation our athletes deserve for bringing our country such a sense of pride and achievement,” she said.
Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting have been backing swimming for more than 30 years, and figures revealed in 2023 showed she had contributed $60 million to various Australian Olympic teams, the Dolphins among them. Her support intensified in the wake of the disappointing 2012 Olympics, when Australia managed only a single gold medal in the pool. Beyond the team funding, she also provides direct financial support and scholarships to some athletes.
At the 2022 Birmingham Games, Australian swimmers were dominant, taking 25 of a possible 52 gold medals. For Glasgow, the nation has fielded a 60-member Dolphins team featuring the likes of Kyle Chalmers, Mollie O’Callaghan and Cam McEvoy.
Pole vaulter Nina Kennedy and swimmer Tim Hodge will carry the flag and baton respectively as they lead the Australian team into Friday morning’s opening ceremony (AEST).
