Cameron McEvoy says it is “crazy” he has not received a financial reward for setting a world record in the men’s 50m freestyle at the China Open last week.
The Australian clocked 20.88 seconds in Shenzhen, beating Cesar Cielo’s time of 20.91 which the Brazilian set 17 years ago during swimming’s ‘supersuit’ era.
McEvoy, 31, said the “harder pathway” to his historic victory was in “stark contrast” to the $1m bonus promised to swimmers (£745,000) if they break the 50m freestyle world record at the Enhanced Games.
The inaugural Games, which take place in Las Vegas in May, allow athletes to take banned performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision.
“It’s crazy to think that to get a world record without a suit and without any performance-enhancing drugs, as a clean athlete, the bonus is zero dollars,” said McEvoy.
World Aquatics does pay out rewards to record-breaking athletes, but because the China Open was not organised by the governing body, no bonuses were sanctioned.
Athletes receive $30,000 (£22,200) for Aquatics World Championship world records, $25,000 (£18,600) for Swimming World Championship world records and $10,000 (£7,500) for World Cup meet records – all events sanctioned by the governing body.
