The 2025 World Championships may have concluded, but the money is still rolling in for some of Australia’s top pool swimming performers.
As the nation finished second in the overall swimming medal table, having amassed 20 pieces of hardware, including 8 golds, longstanding aquatics benefactor Gina Rinehart has contributed additional monetary awards to those who truly rose to the occasion in Singapore.
As a patron, Rinehart has committed the following to swimming and synchronized (artistic) swimming athletes:
| Medal Type | Individual Event | Relay Event |
| Gold | $20,000 | $5,000pp |
| Silver | $15,000 | $3,750pp |
| Bronze | $10,000 | $2,500pp |
| World Record | $30,000 | $7,500pp |
Of note, athletes who received multiple medals will be rewarded for each and every medal earned. Payments will be made directly into athletes’ accounts within two weeks, pending confirmation of updated banking details.
For a swimmer such as Olympic multi-champion Kaylee McKeown, her reward includes:
- 100m backstroke gold – $20,000
- 200m backstroke gold – $20,000
- Women’s 4x100m medley relay silver – $3,750
While teammate Mollie O’Callaghan’s haul includes:
- 100m freestyle silver – $15,000
- 200m freestyle gold – $20,000
- Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay gold – $5,000
- Women’s 4x200m freestyle relay gold – $5,000
- Women’s 4x100m medley relay silver – $37,50
Per Swimming Australia’s release, Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting have supported swimming for more than 30 years, initially in West Australia, then in Queensland too, and since the London Olympics, nationally also.
They are the largest private supporters of Australian Olympic sports.
Rinehart was awarded an Order of Merit by the Australian Olympic Committee in 2014.
Of her significant monetary awards, Rinehart stated, “Warmest congratulations to all our swimmers, synchronised swimmers and other athletes who competed in Singapore. A spectacular effort!
“Few people truly understand the years of hard work, discipline and sacrifice required to compete at this level. To see Australia achieve second in the world – punching well above our population size – is amazing.
“Our swimmers have come so far since the London Olympics, where no gold medals were won, to now standing as the second-best swimming nation in the world! – behind only the USA.
“This success also reflects the years of sacrifice from parents, coaches and volunteers behind the scenes who help make these records possible.
“I’m delighted to once again provide financial bonuses to our medal winners in the sports where I’m patron. It’s a way of saying thank you and showing appreciation for their dedication and achievements for our country, and for helping to build national pride.
“For swimmers like Mollie and others who achieved multiple medals, they will receive bonuses for each and every medal earned.”
71-year-old Rinehart is an Australian billionaire mining magnate and businesswoman. Her father founded Hancock Prospecting, a privately owned mineral exploration and extraction company.
The generosity Gina provides to our nation is outstanding. She lifts us up, and supporting these swimmers is just one of many generous initiatives.
And an army of attorneys and PR staff ensure that we continue to view it as such, or else you’re going to spend the next 5 years in court.
No gold medals in London? Actually, there was one – the first of what is now four consecutive women’s 4 * 100 m freestyle relay golds.
mcevoy is interested in doing european competitions from may-july 2026, as per his IG story
I would like to thank Gina Rinehart for her very generous support of Australian swimmers. Without this support many of our high achievers and potential achievers may not have been able to remain in the sport. Gina’s contribution over 30 years is an important factor in advancing the prospects of our swimmers on the International stage.
Love Gina!
I’m okay with her ill-gotten gains being used this way.
I’d love for one of the top Aussie swimmer’s to say something like this in public or on social media.. I don’t think they will get away with it
Don’t bite the hand that feeds.
Unfair to expect it of them.
well in the past Kyle Chalmers has voiced his support of indigenous rights and anti-colonialism yet still attended Commonwealth Games in 2022 which is remnant of British Empire… so personal versus professional can clash at time
Just curious whether the heats swimmers for relays will also be rewarded or only the finals swimmers since it was them who won the medals in the end .. just curious that’s all
I am not Gina Reinhardt so I can’t say with 100% certainty but relay heat swimmers are medallists, so to my understanding and to the letter of her statement:
“I’m delighted to once again provide financial bonuses to our medal winners”
One can presume medalling relay heat swimmers will also be rewarded.
That will be great for young swimmers like Sienna Toohey who swam the heats to get some small fortune for her efforts and to fund her training away from Albury during winter
That’s why it wouldn’t make sense for Aussie swimmers to underperform or not want to win events because there’s incentive for them to win some extra sponsorship money