Swimming Australia has rushed to arrange a special general meeting in order to address complaints raised by World Aquatics which had threatened its expulsion.
The meeting will be held on 20 October after a stern letter from the world governing body which called for changes to the constitution within 90 days “to make it more representative and inclusive of its athletes”.
Swimming Australia’s president, Michelle Gallen, said the changes were much needed and would bring “stability to how our sport is governed”.
“The message from the governing body is abundantly clear,” she said. “If we don’t make these necessary changes, then our standing in the sport is in jeopardy.”
The proposed new constitution has been endorsed by World Aquatics but has not yet been published.
“World Aquatics welcomes the changes to the Swimming Australia constitution, which will give more power to athletes and a voice on the board, while also delivering a broader voting base more closely connected to athletes and coaches,” World Aquatics executive director, Brent Nowicki, said.
The letter said “there appears to be a void in the role of athletes in decision-making.” World Aquatics requires that all 20 members of a national governing body’s athletes committee have a vote.
It also called for an increase to the size of Swimming Australia’s membership, citing the high turnover of its directors in recent years, “which may be caused by the small number of voting members”.
The constitution’s amendments will be passed if agreed to by Swimming Australia’s members, which include the state swimming bodies, and representatives for athletes and coaches.
The meeting is the latest story in the saga of governance and leadership challenges the sport has faced in recent years.
Swimming Australia has had four different chief executives since 2017. Eugenie Buckley stepped down after just 18 months earlier this year, and Steve Newman is now in the position in an interim role.
The letter from World Aquatics from earlier this month raised the prospect of “the withdrawal of Swimming Australia as a member” unless changes were made. “We urgently request that you present a corrective action plan to the World Aquatics bureau within 30 days,” it said.
It required Swimming Australia to provide board voting rights to president of the Oceania Swimming Association, Matthew Dunn, and to address conflicts of interest.
Gallen said the changes would mean Swimming Australia is “just as high performing out of the pool”.
The Dolphins finished on top of the medal table at last month’s world championships in Japan ahead of swimming powers China and the USA. It was the first time Australia topped the tally at the worlds meet since 2001, also in Fukuoka.
“The changes will ensure the sport’s administration and governance is of a world-class standard and will strengthen the voice of athletes and coaches,” Gallen said.
Swimming Australia will receive more than $14m in federal government funding in 2023-24, the vast majority for high performance.
Australian Sports Commission chair, Josephine Sukkar, said her organisation “is committed to ensuring that all national sporting organisations which receive taxpayer funding demonstrate good governance of their sport”.
“We welcome the steps taken today and will continue to work with Swimming Australia to ensure that it is structured and operates in a way that generates stable leadership, empowers its athletes and coaches, while enabling a positive, safe and inclusive environment for all of its participants and members,” she said.
“Swimming is a sport that means a lot to many Australians and the ASC will continue to do everything possible to support the elite athletes who are preparing for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games while ensuring the sport is set up for success for many years to come.”
