Kyle Chalmers fears athlete exodus to Enhanced Games, blasts IOC
Australian swimming great Kyle Chalmers has criticized the International Olympic Committee for not paying enough compensation to athletes, saying he is thoroughly disappointed and fearful more competitors will enter the Advanced Games in pursuit of lucrative prize money.
Chalmers, who has secured another Commonwealth Games berth after winning the men’s 100m freestyle title in 47.59 seconds at the Australian swimming trials in Sydney, said he felt compelled to speak out on behalf of athletes and highlight how financially unsustainable the sport can be.
This imprint revealed last year that Chalmers turned down a multi-million dollar offer to compete in last month’s Advanced Games in Las Vegas, where swimmers, track and field stars and weightlifters compete for world record jackpots of up to US$1 million ($1.4 million) in certain events while using performance-enhancing drugs.
Chalmers could not hide his disappointment at comments made by IOC president Kirsty Coventry during the fallout from the Advanced Games. Coventry said it did not support prize money for Olympic athletes, arguing that funding should be directed to national federations to support a wider group of athletes rather than just those on the podium.
“It’s really sad to see how unbalanced the situation is, especially when an IOC president comes forward and makes some pretty harsh comments throughout this period,” Chalmers said.
“It’s easy for us swimmers to voice our concerns from time to time, but nothing seems to change. Millions of dollars are left in people’s bank accounts using our image and performance, and we’re not getting paid for it.
“This applies not only to the IOC, but also up and down.
“As a 28-year-old with a young family and a mortgage, it’s hard to keep going. We’re financing these things ourselves. It cost me $5,000 to come to the trials. It cost me $36 to race tonight. It’s a sport that takes a lot out of you.”
“I really hope there will be a change from top to bottom. Whether it’s in my sports career or not, I hope I can at least raise my voice to make it a little better for the next generation because as sad as it is, I don’t understand why you would choose this path honestly.”
“We’re going through a really tough time in our sport. There’s a huge false narrative that if you’re an Olympian who wins a gold medal, you’ve somehow set yourself up for life. That’s so far from the truth.”
Chalmers, a three-time Olympic medalist in his favorite 100-meter freestyle event, said it was particularly difficult to watch American swimmer Hunter Armstrong compete as a clean athlete in two events at the Advanced Games and take home $US375,000 ($A535,000) in prize money on top of his entry fee.
It is unlikely Armstrong will be allowed to compete at the next Olympics due to his affiliation with the Advanced Games, but he has declared that he intends to challenge any ban in court.
At last year’s world championships, swimmers received US$20,000 ($28,000) for victories. Gina Rinehart, a long-time financial supporter of Australian swimmers, has pledged to pay athletes $20,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze medals at the upcoming Commonwealth Games through her ‘Patron Medal Achievement Incentive Fund’.
“I think I won 48 international medals. For those 48 international medals, I would have received less prize money than Hunter Armstrong. [did at the Enhanced Games]” said Chalmers.
“I truly believe that more and more athletes will be more inclined to get there and walk away. [from] the sport was in a slightly better financial position than it would have been if they had chosen the right path and represented their country and participated in four or five Olympics.
“I will never criticize athletes for wanting to go and improve themselves and start their families.
“I’ve made the choice I’m proud of. I’m going to represent Australia at another Commonwealth Games. Now more than ever… with a young family… a partner on a student visa which means he can’t work in our country, not working at a sports institute and having to figure things out for myself… money is more important to me than ever.”
Enhanced Games organizers have vowed to host another event next year and have pledged to pay US$10 million ($14 million) to anyone who can break Usain Bolt’s 100 meters world record.
James Magnussen, the only Australian athlete competing at the Enhanced Games, said he wanted to attract Dolphins star Cam McEvoy to the event because he is the world record holder in the 50m freestyle.
Now a father, Chalmers is looking forward to continuing with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and is adamant he can still improve on his personal best of 47.08, set in 2019 and achieved in 2021.
“The day I no longer believe I can swim my personal best is the day I will probably walk away from the sport,” Chalmers said.
Chalmers’ victory over Flynn Southam (47.94) came on a night when Kaylee McKeown won the women’s 200m backstroke in 2:03.98 – the fastest time in the world this year and the eighth-fastest of her career – before Lani Pallister cruised to victory in the 800m freestyle.
“Unfortunately I’m dead on the back end but hopefully it will come with a little more training,” McKeown said.
Lizzy Dekkers broke her personal best in the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:04.95 and will be looking to make it back-to-back gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, following on from her victory in Birmingham four years ago.
Tom Decent is chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
