New world record holder Cam McEvoy has taken aim at swimming authorities, saying it is “ludicrous” that he received no bonus for becoming the fastest man in history over 50 metres.
McEvoy is back in Australia after his stunning swim at last week’s China Open, shaving 0.03 seconds off Cesar Cielo’s 2009 supersuit mark to post 20.88 in the men’s 50m freestyle.
Now the only Australian male swimmer to hold a longcourse world record, McEvoy was paid an appearance fee and about $US10,000 ($14,300) in prizemoney for his win in Shenzhen, while officials have since retired the lane-five starting block and put it in a museum.
However, McEvoy revealed he will not earn a cent for the record itself, despite praise from swimming royalty, including the likes of Michael Phelps, Ariarne Titmus and Grant Hackett.
“With this world record, I got zero dollars,” McEvoy said on Wednesday. “It’s pretty ludicrous. It’s a bit unfortunate that this pathway has $0 and the value placed on something like this is deemed, from that perspective, very low or worth nothing. I’m dumbfounded in terms of the stark contrast that exists currently in the landscape in swimming.”
World Aquatics offers bonuses for world records only at meets it sanctions, meaning there are no financial rewards for new marks set at the Olympics or domestic Australian events.
As revealed by this masthead, Gina Rinehart will offer Australian athletes $20,000 for breaking a world record at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The disparity comes as the controversial Enhanced Games – an event that will allow athletes to compete using performance-enhancing substances – prepares to launch in Las Vegas in May with significant prizemoney.
Event winners will receive $US250,000 ($359,000), with a further $US1 million on offer for a world record in certain events, including the 50m freestyle.
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev swam 20.89 last year – albeit in a banned supersuit, which will be used at the Enhanced Games – and received a $US1 million bonus.
McEvoy will not be competing at the Enhanced Games, though organisers have encouraged clean athletes to take part.
American swimmer Hunter Armstrong, a two-time Olympic relay gold medallist, has confirmed his attendance as a clean athlete, while Britain’s Ben Proud – runner-up to McEvoy at the Paris Olympics and last year’s world championships in Singapore – has also aligned himself with the concept.
“It’s crazy to think that to get a world record without a suit and without any performance enhancing drugs as a clean athlete that the bonus is zero dollars,” McEvoy said. “If I went an easier route, I put a [banned] suit on [it can] easily drop half a second. Then there’s the performance-enhancing drug side of things, which I have no idea what happens there, but I’m sure it’s an improvement.
“The contrast is stark. I think even from the beginning … it [the Enhanced Games] didn’t really hold much credibility to begin with. I think doing this time probably shows that they don’t have the level of competition that exists in the traditional sporting arena as well.
“I think it just remains as something that is more of an exhibition on the outskirts.”
Nonetheless, McEvoy described his latest achievement as the “realisation of a childhood dream”, having long viewed a world record as carrying greater weight than an Olympic gold medal.
Since returning to the sport in 2022, McEvoy has reinvented his approach through a highly specialised, strength-based training program – and is now reaping the rewards.
It is all the more remarkable considering McEvoy has only been training in a 25m pool since late last year, conscious of improving his first 15m and sticking to a gym block featuring countless sets of chin-ups with 70kg of weight attached to him.
He has swum no more than 1500m a week in two to four sessions – a dramatic reduction on the 30 to 70km he once logged before linking with coach Tim Lane four years ago.
McEvoy clocked an unofficial 25m world-record time in training earlier this year, and also shed seven kilograms between last year’s trials and now – dropping from 94kg to 87kg – while maintaining his strength-to-weight ratio.
His partner, Madi, and eight-month-old son Hartley were in the stands in China to see the feat, with McEvoy celebrating his return to Australia by indulging in his favourite foods, including the “Big McEvoy” burger at Barbecue Mafia in Brisbane.
“This was the one I didn’t have. To do it is special,” McEvoy said.
“It’s no coincidence that Hartley’s first experience of watching me do a longcourse 50 freestyle was a world record.
“I’m going to double down on what I’ve been doing. I still think there’s still a way to go in terms of reaching my strength potential in the gym.”
Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.