Swimming Australia In Hot Water With World Aquatics Over Governance Issues

Photo Courtesy Sport The Library.

Swimming Australia is in hot water with World Aquatics who are threatening one of the sport’s superpowers with expulsion from the sport’s international governing body over governance issues.

Sydney’s Daily Telegraph has reported today the serious concerns from World Aquatics “over the way the sport is being run.”

The report is based on correspondence between World Aquatics and Swimming Australia, leaked to the paper’s Chief Olympics and Swimming correspondent Julian Linden.

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World Aquatics has given the governing body 30 days to bring its constitution and governance into line or risk losing its global membership.

The Daily Telegraph obtained copies of two confidential letters sent to SA president Michelle Gallen this year, outlining the issues and “demands for strong changes.”

In the second letter, dated August 7, 2023, World Aquatics warned Swimming Australia that if it failed to act within 30 days, it would implement its own “stabilisation committee” and “withdrawal of recognition of Swimming Australia as a Member of World Aquatics.”

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“Swimming Australia must take steps to broaden its membership base to make it more representative and inclusive of its athletes,” the letter said.

“With this, we urgently request that you present a corrective action plan to the World Aquatics Bureau within 30 days with an aim towards completing such plan within 90 days.”

According to the Telegraph the board of Swimming Australia has already met and will hold a Special General Meeting.

It also expected that the Constitution will be changed once it passed legal requirements.

The Australian swim team finished on top of the gold medal tally at the recent World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka with 13 gold, seven silver and five bronze medals for a total of 25 medals and four world records.

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