‘I don’t know why you’d choose this avenue’: Chalmers fears athlete exodus to Enhanced Games

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.

“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.

“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 Aus