Australian swimming great Kyle Chalmers has slammed the International Olympic Committee for failing to adequately compensate athletes, saying he is completely disillusioned and fears more competitors will defect to the Enhanced Games in pursuit of lucrative prize money.
After winning the men’s 100-metre freestyle title in 47.59 seconds at the Australian swimming trials in Sydney to secure another Commonwealth Games berth, Chalmers said he felt compelled to speak out on behalf of athletes and highlight how financially unsustainable the sport can be.
This masthead revealed last year that Chalmers turned down a multi-million-dollar offer to compete at the Enhanced Games, which took place in Las Vegas last month and featured swimmers, athletics stars and weightlifters using performance-enhancing drugs while competing for world record bonuses worth up to $US1 million ($1.4 million) in certain events.
Chalmers could not hide his frustration at comments made by IOC president Kirsty Coventry during the fallout from the Enhanced Games. Coventry said she did not support prize money for Olympians, arguing funding should instead be directed to national federations to support a broader group of athletes rather than only those who reach the podium.
“It’s really sad to see how uneven it is, especially when an IOC president comes out and makes pretty harsh comments through that period of time,” Chalmers said.
“It’s very easy for a lot of us swimmers to voice our concerns at times, but nothing seems to change. There’s millions of dollars being left in bank accounts where people are using our image and our performances and we don’t reap the rewards.
“It goes for not only the IOC but right down.
“As a 28-year-old with a young family and a mortgage, it’s very hard to continue. We fund these things ourselves. For me to come to trials, it cost me $5000. For me to race tonight, it cost me $36. It’s a sport that takes a lot from you.
“I really hope that from the top right down, there’s going to be some change. Whether it’s in my sporting career or not, hopefully I can at least speak up to make it a little bit better for the next generation coming through because I don’t see why you would probably choose this avenue honestly, as sad as it is.
“We’re in a really tough time in our sport. There’s a very big false narrative out there that if you’re an Olympic athlete winning gold medals, that you’ve kind of set yourself up in life. It’s very far from the truth.”
Chalmers, a three-time Olympic medallist in his favoured 100m freestyle event, said it was particularly difficult to watch American swimmer Hunter Armstrong compete as a clean athlete in two races at the Enhanced Games and take home $US375,000 ($535,000) in prize money on top of an appearance fee.
Armstrong is unlikely to be permitted to compete at the next Olympics because of his association with the Enhanced Games, although he has declared, he intends to challenge any ban in court.
At last year’s world championships, swimmers received $US20,000 ($28,000) for victories. At the upcoming Commonwealth Games, Gina Rinehart, a long-time financial supporter of Australian swimmers, has committed to paying athletes $20,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze medals through a ‘Patron’s Medal Achievement Incentive Fund’.
“I think I’ve won 48 international medals. I would have got less prize money for those 48 international medals than Hunter Armstrong [did at the Enhanced Games],” Chalmers said.
“I truly believe that more and more athletes will be more inclined to go across there and walk away [from] the sport in a slightly better financial situation than what they would have if they chose the right path and represented their country and went to four or five Olympics.
“I’m not going to ever criticise athletes for going and wanting to better themselves and set their families up.
“I chose my choice, which I’m very proud of. I get to go represent Australia at another Commonwealth Games. Now more than ever … with a young family … a wife who’s on a student visa, which means she can’t work in our country, not being in a sporting institute and having to find things myself … money is more important to me more than ever.”
Enhanced Games organisers have vowed to host another event next year and have promised to pay $US10 million ($14 million) to anyone who can break Usain Bolt’s 100m world record.
James Magnussen, the only Australian athlete to compete at the Enhanced Games, has said he wants to lure Dolphins star Cam McEvoy to the event given he is the world record holder in the 50m freestyle.
Chalmers, now a father, is eager to continue through to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and remains adamant he can still better his personal best of 47.08, set in 2019 and matched in 2021.
“I think the day that I no longer believe I’m capable of swimming a personal best time is the day that I probably step away from the sport,” Chalmers said.
Chalmers’ victory, ahead of Flynn Southam (47.94), came on a night when Kaylee McKeown won the women’s 200m backstroke in 2:03.98 – the fastest time in the world this year and eighth quickest of her career – before Lani Pallister powered to victory in the 800m freestyle.
“Unfortunately, I died in the back-end but hopefully with a bit more training it will come,” McKeown said.
Lizzy Dekkers set a personal best of 2:04.95 in the 200m butterfly and will be looking to claim back-to-back Commonwealth Games gold medals after her triumph in Birmingham four years ago.
Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.