Article by Andrew Prentice and Ollie Lewis courtesy of the Daily Mail, Australia.
- Superstar Kaylee McKeown ‘very thankful’ for Rinehart’s support
- Mining magnate has spent $60million on Aussie athletes since 2012
- Largest single Olympic sport contribution by an individual
Kaylee McKeown has revealed she wouldn’t be a global swimming superstar if it weren’t for a stunning act of generosity by Gina Rinehart – and why she personally doesn’t agree with Cate Campbell’s explosive comments on the US swim team.
McKeown, 22, won the women’s 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke at the recent World Championships in Japan – and acknowledged that without funding from Rinehart, her glittering career in the pool would never have happened.
‘She [Rinehart] is my life support, without her funding many of us wouldn’t be in the sport,’ McKeown told 2GB radio’s Ben Fordham on Friday.
‘Swimmers need sponsorship, and Ms Rinehart has supported me since I was 16.
‘I am very thankful.
‘Fordham also revealed Rinehart personally funds 75 swimmers and 50 rowers – and over the past decade has provided $60million for Aussie Olympic athletes.
In addition, she also supports Aussie artistic swimmers and volleyballers.
Rinehart’s financial injection is believed to be the largest single contribution to Olympic sport by any individual anywhere across the world.
McKeown went onto distance herself from Campbell’s pointed jibe at the US swim team following the World Championships in Japan.
Campbell labelled the American stars ‘sore losers’ after the Aussies dominated at the World Championships last week, with records falling throughout an exceptional trip to Japan.
‘Everyone is entitled to an opinion … [but] I don’t agree with how Cate went about expressing her opinion,’ she told Fordham.
‘I’m all for rivalry, but you don’t need to be nasty about it.
‘She wasn’t speaking on behalf of all Australian swimmers, but Cate can say whatever she likes.’
Campbell hit out at the US team after they tried to claim victory overall as they won the most medals in Fukuoka, even though Australia secured topped the gold medal count with 13.
The Aussies also broke four world records.
‘Such sore losers,’ Campbell said on Channel Nine’s Today Show.
‘I mean, Australia coming out on top of the world is one thing, but it is just so much sweeter beating America.
‘The first night of competition, we did not have to hear ‘Star Spangled Banner’ ring out through the stadium. I cannot tell you how happy that made me.
‘If I hear that song again it will be too soon. Bring on Paris. That’s all I have to say to the US. Stop being sore losers.’
That led McKeown to say, ‘There is a right and wrong way to say things and Cate is entitled to her opinion but I just want the US to know that she is not speaking on behalf of the whole Australian team.’
Swimming Australia’s head coach Rohan Taylor was bemused by the US claiming the team award presented by the sport’s governing body, World Aquatics.
The Americans won seven gold among their 38 medals, with their combined return the most overall of any nation.
‘The way the award is presented is on total medals, that’s the award,’ Taylor said.
‘We (Australia) have always looked at, and I was brought up by the Don Talbot era, that gold medals were the most important.
‘So from our perspective, we were the best performed team on the gold medal count.
‘And when you look at the website and you look at the medal tally, we sit on top of that.
‘That is how I feel. But I’m not taking anything away from the US and they won the award based on the criteria that was there.’
