Australian swimmers get cash bonuses at Commonwealth Games

Australian swimmers competing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are eligible for significant cash bonuses for medals and world records, funded by mining magnate Gina Rinehart. The incentive scheme, announced ahead of the Games' opening ceremony on July 24, 2026, offers individual athletes 20,000 Australian dollars for a gold medal, 15,000 for silver, and 10,000 for bronze. A world record performance carries an additional 30,000 bonus. Relay team members will also receive payments ranging from 2,500 for a bronze to 5,000 for a gold, with a 7,500 bonus per person for a world record. Athletes who win multiple medals will be paid for each one, with funds deposited into their accounts within two weeks of the Games' conclusion.

Rinehart, the nation's richest person and a long-time patron of several Australian swimming bodies, stated the bonuses are a gesture of appreciation for the athletes. She said there is something very uplifting about seeing an Australian athlete stand on the podium while the national flag is raised, adding that such moments make Australians proud and deserve to be celebrated. The scheme mirrors a similar incentive offered by Rinehart to Australian swimmers...