The warning that stunned Australia’s swim camp
Australia’s Commonwealth Games swimmers were instructed not to publicly discuss medal bonuses provided by billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart during the Glasgow Games. The warning applied to media interviews and social-media activity throughout the official competition blackout period, which runs until the Games close on August 3.
According to a report by The Age journalist Tom Decent, two sources with knowledge of the situation said several people inside the Dolphins camp were surprised by the directive. The instruction was issued by Commonwealth Games Australia rather than Swimming Australia.
However, the rule was not strictly a blanket ban on saying Rinehart’s name or praising her personally. Athletes were warned against promoting or discussing the financial reward scheme because Rinehart and Hancock Prospecting are not official partners of the Australian Commonwealth Games team.
The contract clause behind the controversy
Every Australian athlete competing in Glasgow signed a team membership agreement covering commercial activity during the Games. Clause 4.8 prevents athletes from endorsing, promoting or marketing an unapproved fundraising or reward scheme, while clause 4.9 restricts public comments and interviews provided in exchange for payment.
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The restrictions are intended to protect companies that have paid to become official Australian team partners. Commonwealth Games Australia was reportedly expected to exercise discretion rather than automatically punish a swimmer who thanked Rinehart during an interview.
“We commend Mrs Rinehart for her support of Australian sport, it is exemplary,” a CGA spokesperson said. “The Australian Team partner family has committed millions of dollars to deliver our team to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Mrs Rinehart and her companies are not Australian Team partners.”
Rinehart’s extraordinary bonus bill revealed
Rinehart offered individual swimmers $20,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze. Relay members received $5,000 each for gold, $3,750 for silver and $2,500 for bronze, while an individual world record carried an additional $30,000 reward.
The bonuses were paid directly to swimmers without the involvement of Commonwealth Games Australia or Swimming Australia. They came on top of the annual financial support Rinehart already provides to a number of Australia’s leading swimmers.
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Australia’s record-breaking performance eventually pushed the total bill to $1,272,500. As reported by 7NEWS journalist Ian Chadband, the Dolphins finished the programme with 75 medals, including a record 37 golds.
Hanson erupts over the restriction
The directive provoked a furious response from One Nation senator Pauline Hanson, who has a close personal and professional relationship with Rinehart. Hanson argued that athletes should be permitted to acknowledge the people who make it financially possible for them to train and compete.
“For many of our Commonwealth and Olympic athletes, Gina Rinehart is the only reason they’ve been able to commit the time and effort to their chosen sport,” Hanson said.
“So if it’s good enough for swimmers to thank their family and coach when they win medals at this year’s Commonwealth Games, I think they’ve earned the right to thank whoever they like,” she added, as quoted by Code Sports journalist Sophie Elsworth.
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Swimmers caught between gratitude and team rules
Australian chef de mission Petria Thomas stressed that Rinehart’s payments were a private arrangement. Commonwealth Games Australia gave every member of the national team a $5,000 grant, but it had no involvement in calculating or distributing the swimming bonuses.
“That’s a separate arrangement and that’s something that Commonwealth Games Australia is not involved in,” Thomas said. “Good luck to the swimmers, I guess. They’ve got someone backing that performance, but that is a separate matter for them.”
The dispute therefore centred less on whether swimmers appreciated Rinehart’s support and more on when they were permitted to discuss it. While official sponsors paid for the team’s participation in Glasgow, Rinehart’s private rewards ensured Australia’s most successful swimmers returned home with considerably more than medals.
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