Australian swimmers warned not to thank Gina Rinehart during media interviews
Glasgow: Australian swimmers have been warned they are not allowed to thank billionaire Commonwealth Games philanthropist Gina Rinehart during media interviews after the country’s richest person confirmed she will pay medal bonuses again in Glasgow.
The imprint revealed in March that Rinehart, a long-time supporter of Australian swimmers, would continue to reward members of the Dolphins squad if they performed well at the Commonwealth Games.
Hancock Prospecting confirmed on Thursday that swimmers will be awarded $20,000 for a gold medal, $15,000 for a silver medal and $10,000 for a bronze medal, with an additional $30,000 for any world records. Members of four-person relay teams will receive $5,000 for gold, $3,750 for silver and $2,500 for bronze. Skilled and disabled swimmers will also benefit from the same payments, and these payments will be “deposited directly into their accounts within two weeks after the end of the Games.”
The Hancock Prospecting press release included six different quotes from six Australian Olympians in linked stories praising Rinehart. Among them was Olympic silver medalist Elijah Winnington, who described her as “almost like this godmother figure.”
Bonuses are given only to swimmers.
“Private enterprise has an important role to play in supporting Australians who work hard, strive for excellence and make our nation proud, and I call on more business leaders to step up and do the same,” Rinehart said in a statement.
But a twist emerged on the eve of the competition, with Australian swimmers clearly instructed not to thank Rinehart during television interviews or when speaking to accredited media after races. They were given a briefing recently.
Some people in Dolphins camp were surprised by the directive, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity. It is administered by Commonwealth Games Australia, not Swimming Australia.
But this shouldn’t come as a surprise. This imprint received a copy of the Australian “team membership agreement” signed by each athlete competing in Glasgow.
Article 4.8 reads: “As a member of the team… the athlete must not (unless previously approved by the CGA) take part in, participate in or permit the athlete’s image to be used for the following purposes or in connection with: (a) the endorsement, promotion or marketing of any betting or gambling agency, fundraising or prize scheme”.
Article 4.9 states: “The athlete must not make or enter into any agreement, arrangement or agreement for the purpose of: writing any public or media commentary for the award… or conducting any interviews for the award”.
The rule is partly due to the fact that the CGA has major sponsors for the Games and is not specifically targeting Rinehart.
Athletes are free to speak positively about Rinehart personally, but have been warned not to discuss the financial incentives attached to medals.
Some may choose to ignore the edict and publicly thank Rinehart when asked about her financial support, which has made a significant difference in the lives of many.
Commonwealth Games Australia is expected to exercise discretion and not impose fines or sanctions on athletes who thank Rinehart during interviews.
Rinehart, who was recently seen in Italy with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, is not expected to attend the Commonwealth Games and has not sought tickets through Commonwealth Games Australia.
Australia’s chief of Mission Petria Thomas was asked about Rinehart’s medal bonus plan ahead of the opening ceremony in Scotland.
“This is a separate regulation and this is something that Commonwealth Games Australia is not involved in,” Thomas said. “I guess good luck to the swimmers. There are people who support this performance, but that’s a separate issue for them.”
“Commonwealth Games Australia actually gave $5000 to each athlete who made this team to help this team. It’s a small token but it makes a difference.”
Commonwealth Games Australia released a statement after Thomas’ speech.
“Australia’s top swimmers always have a history of qualifying for the Commonwealth Games and we saw this once again at Glasgow 2026,” a CGA spokesperson said. “The opportunity to compete in the green and gold is the biggest incentive to make this happen.
“We commend Ms Rinehart for her support of Australian sport, it is exemplary. Her Australian team partner family has committed millions of dollars to get our team to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.”
“Ms Rinehart and her companies are not Australian team partners.”
Rinehart’s bonuses are paid directly to athletes rather than Swimming Australia.
Shortly after Thomas spoke to the media, Australian swimming star Kyle Chalmers and Dolphins head coach Rohan Taylor also appeared before reporters.
Asked if Rinehart’s financial support was a positive thing, Chalmers said: “I mean, absolutely. I’m not going to say it’s not a good thing. I’m very grateful to have the support of the CGA to get us here, but being able to have some medal incentive gives us so much more purpose and reason. We’re so grateful to have the supporters. The CGA made that possible. I think it’s very important for us, especially the older athletes, to be able to get some incentive for all our hard work.”
Taylor also avoided mentioning Rinehart’s name when asked for her opinion.
“First of all, I would like to thank the CGA partners. They are the ones who really organized this event for us,” Taylor said. “Of course, we really appreciate the other support the athletes get. The swimmers really appreciate it, so it’s great.”
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Tom Decent is chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
