Michael Scott, Swimming Australia’s High Performance Director, Quits 18 Months Before Rio

Australian Fans Pan Pacifics

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BELCONNEN – After almost two years working for Swimming Australia Michael Scott will be leaving the organisation after accepting a position as the Chief Executive Officer at Rowing Australia.

Swimming Australia has begun the search for a new Director of Performance following this decision with the role sure to attract a highly competitive field. Scott, who returned to Australia in 2013 after five years working for British Swimming, took on the role of Director of Performance at Swimming Australia in April 2013.

A former Director of the AIS and NSWIS, and CEO of the organising committee for the 2007 FINA World Swimming Championships, Scott brought with him a wealth of professional and high performance experience to help in the build up towards the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Swimming Australia CEO Mark Anderson said that Michael has achieved a significant amount since his appointment. His leadership of the high performance department and across the system has laid a tremendous base for the future success of the team.

“In his time at Swimming Australia Michael has led significant change across our sport at the elite level. This has resulted in a clear direction and well developed plans targeted at attaining success in Rio 2016 and beyond. In addition to Michael’s role we have developed a very strong and professional team that will ensure we stay focussed on delivering the plan leading into the Rio Olympics.

Michael will continue to work with us over the next three months to ensure a smooth transition. We have already commenced the process of finding a replacement and we are developing a target list of potential replacements. I am confident that with our team progressing well, the High Performance Director role for Swimming Australia will attract a highly competitive field, Anderson said.

We strive for world class and we have world class people within Swimming Australia. These individuals will be targeted and from time to time they will be recruited to higher places.

“On behalf of the Australian Swim Team, staff and board I would like to wish Michael all the best with his new position as the Chief Executive Officer of Rowing Australia. Michael is a talented and respected sporting professional and we congratulate him on attaining this key role in Australian sport. We thank him for his significant contribution to Australian swimming. He has laid a strong base for future success.”

The team has already continued its successful build up to 2016 with some outstanding performances to beat the USA, China and Japan in the BHP Billiton Aquatic Super Series in Perth last weekend.

While under Michael’s guidance as the Director of Performance, the Australian Swim Team walked away from the 2013 FINA World Championships with a total of three gold and ten silver medals, then in 2014 picked up a record 57-medal haul including 19 gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and finished off the year with a total of 26 medals including ten gold from the Pan Pacific Championships on the Gold Coast.

Scott said he will take great memories away from his time at Swimming and was looking forward to new opportunities with Rowing.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Swimming Australia and seeing the progress the team made in my short time with them. Seeing the swimmers step up and perform at the Pan Pacific Championships on the Gold Coast and having the national anthem played numerous times in front of a home crowd was a just one of many highlights.

This new role will no doubt present some exciting opportunities as I move into the next phase of my career as CEO,” Scott said.

Scott will officially begin with Rowing Australia in May and will continue to work with Swimming until the conclusion of the National Championships and the selection of the World Championship team in April.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World. To reach our audience, contact us at newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com.

Scott has had a busy few years.  He left British Swimming to head to Australia just two years ago after having taken the Britain’s top swimming job in 2008.

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