Swimming Australia says the decision by its athletes to spend a week hand-digging for iron-ore in the Pilbara is not a sign Gina Rinehart has any influence over the sport.
“It’s just not true that she has a hold over us,” a Swimming Australia spokesperson said. “We had a conversation about where we might hold our training camp and we all unanimously agreed that an open-cut mine 277km south of Port Headland was the obvious choice. It’s as simple as that.
“Sure, we considered other locations that have swimming pools. But in the end we felt getting on our hands and knees and digging was the best way to improve our swimming strokes as we look toward Paris 2024”.
He said the decision also tied in with the organisation’s values. “One of the things we talk about a lot is how we can give back to the community. And scooping out 300-400kg of dirt for a billionaire seemed like a great way to do that”.
