Australian mining tycoon Gina Rinehart hosted a cruise celebration for Olympians in Paris, and Rinehart allegedly provided financial support for some of the athletes' careers, as reported on August 6.
根据《福布斯》杂志的报道，70岁的Rinehart身家高达463亿澳元。 她资助了90多名奥运会和残奥会的运动员，其中包括Ariarne Titmus、Kaylee McKeown、Mollie O’Callaghan、Kyle Chalmers和Emma McKeon等明星选手。
On Tuesday morning AET, Rinehart welcomed swimmers and rowers, as well as special guests, aboard a cruise on the Seine.
Elijah Winnington, silver medallist in the men's 400m freestyle, was one of the guests on board and spoke about the importance of the Hancock Prospecting miners' chairman's money to his teammates' careers.
"Gina was very generous in sponsoring our swim,"
"Without her financial support, we would have nothing but bonuses. So that's obviously very helpful. She's like a godmother. ”
"I don't know of any other sponsor who would come every night to watch a swimming competition, wave an Australian flag and cheer on everyone's competition."
Rinehart spoke to convey her pride before 120 guests boarded the luxurious Ducasse Sur Seine boat to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre.
"I'm incredibly proud," she said, "and who could be more proud of an Australian Olympian than we are?" ”
"A lot of people don't understand the hardships, but I know something about it. Please enjoy this wonderful evening, it is so nice to be with you guys. ”
She also described the décor on the boat and mentioned the 2GR beef on the menu, which was good news for those who complained about the food in the Olympic Village.
"As you may know, it's been 100 years since the last Olympics in Paris," Rinehart said, "so we've decorated the ship with photos of the last 100 Olympics." I hope you will enjoy the decorations, as well as some small souvenirs that accompany you. ”
According to the report, the athletes also wore gold Rossi boots presented by Rinehart at the event.
据了解,出席此次活动的嘉宾包括Hancock Prospecting的首席执行官Garry Korte、Hancock Agriculture的老板Adam Giles、Wesfarmers的老板及前奥运赛艇选手Rob Scott、Scape的联合创始人兼澳洲排球协会主席Craig Carracher、澳洲奥委会首席执行官Matt Carroll和主席Ian Chesterman。
McKeon、McKeown和50米自由泳冠军Cam McEvoy则没有出席。
McKeown, one of Australia's greatest Olympians, recently told 2GB radio that Rinehart has been her "life-blocking" throughout her career.
"Swimmers need sponsorship, and Rinehart has sponsored me since I was 16 years old. I'm so grateful," she said.
左图为Kyle Chalmers,右为Brianna Throssell和Ariarne Titmus
According to a report released last year by the Australian Sports Foundation, 46 per cent of top athletes live below the poverty line and earn no more than $23,000 a year.
The report also found that the athletes' travel and accommodation expenses during the competition even exceeded their food and beverage costs.
According to the Australian Olympic Committee's Medal Incentive Fund, Australian athletes who win Olympic medals can receive a gold medal bonus of A$20,000, a silver medal bonus of A$15,000 and a bronze medal bonus of A$10,000 respectively.
Writing for News Corp Australia, former Olympic champion Sally Pearson said many athletes have to pay out of pocket to pursue their dreams.
"In order to achieve their dreams, they give up their day jobs, and many times without pay," Pearson wrote.
At the same time, the IOC reported a whopping $11.5 billion in revenue between 2017 and 2021.
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