Rokur Jakupsstovu Named New President of Faroese Swimming Federation

TORSHAVN, Faroe Islands, October 18. Rokur Jakupsstovu has been voted in unanimously as the new president of the Faroese Swimming Federation. The federation is best known for producing world championship bronze medalist Pal Joensen, and is an associate member of the Danish Olympic Committee when it comes time to qualify for the Olympics.

The general assembly also voted unanimously to take the European Swimming League (LEN) to the Court for Arbitration of Sport after LEN allegedly blocked the Faroe Islands from fielding a team at the 2015 European Junior Championships. LEN stated that the Faroe Islands could not have a team because it was not an Olympic member. However, the Faroe Islands contingent argues that the LEN constitution states that no LEN member can be excluded from a LEN event.

Jakupsstovu, a Swimming World correspondent, plans to continue the unprecedented success found under the stewardship of outgoing president Jon Hestoy. Jakupsstovu told Swimming World that his primary plan is to systematize the success found under Hestoy and with Joensen as the poster child of the tiny nation. The primary concern is that all of this success is due to the individuals in place, and that it could erode as the governance team naturally evolves.

“I’m humbled to take over what is undoubtedly a historically-successful Faroese Federation, with former president Jon Hestoy leading us to unprecedented heights and helped by Pal Joensen’s success,” Jakupsstovu told Swimming World. “I hope to be able to help Faroese Swimming to maintain this position. Our tiny federation relies on so many individuals doing more than you could realistically ask of them, and I see my job as trying to solidify as much of what they are doing so that the success can continue with whoever enters the position. We currently have some of the most impressive meets that you can experience in Scandinavia, and that is due to the incredible people in place. We need to make sure this continues in the future.”

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