Article by Dylan Caporn courtesy of the West Australian.
Athletes will receive bonus payments for medals and world records in international competitions under a program funded by Gina Rinehart. The Patron’s Medal Achievement Incentive Fund, announced by Mrs Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting on Sunday, will give Australia’s best athletes and para-athletes across swimming, rowing, volleyball and artistic swimming bonuses for success on the world stage.
Athletes will earn $20,000 for gold medals and $30,000 for world records as part of the $3 million fund. While the fund matches payments paid for successful swimmers, for paraswimmers and rowers the program will reward the sports stars for the first time.
Mrs Rinehart serves as a patron across each of the sports through Hancock Prospecting, supporting close to 150 athletes each year. Olympics gold medallist and Australian Swimmers Association president Bronte Campbell described the funding as “fantastic”.
“Off the back of Australia’s record-breaking performance at the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka in Japan, our best international performance, I know that the athletes stood on those blocks feeling so well supported by the long-term direct athlete support that we have received now for over a decade, from Mrs Rinehart, her various foundations and Hancock Prospecting,” she said.
Rowing Australia president Rob Scott said Mrs Rinehart led the way supporting athletes.
