The waters have been smoothed and peace has been restored in the corridors of power at Swimming Australia – and its back to the business of what really matters – trying to win more gold medals than the U.S. at the next Olympics in Los Angeles.
Latest CEO, two-time Olympian Rob Woodhouse, has delivered his common sense approach to fill all the lanes in an expanded board room, after disqualification from World Aquatics loomed with the governing body seemingly losing its way in the governance of the sport.
“Swimming Australia, World Aquatics and the Australian Sports Commission have agreed to a path forward regarding the constitutional requirements after meetings in Sydney today,” it was announced in a statement by the organization.
“A heads of agreement will be signed today between all parties that will outline measures to be approved in an updated Swimming Australia Constitution.
“The expanded voting structure will apply from the 2025 AGM and sees the current Member Organisations, including the seven State and Territory Member Organisations, Swim Coaches and Teachers Australia and the Australian Swimmers Association, retain 40 per cent of the voting rights, and will now include 5 per cent for any Australian World Aquatics Bureau member and 5 per cent for Swimming Australia’s Affiliate Members, including Masters Swimming Australia, Water Polo Australia, Diving Australia and Artistic Swimming Australia.
“The additional 50 per cent of voting rights will be split between the clubs and athletes, with clubs gaining 30 per cent of the voting rights and 20 per cent for the athletes.
The SA Board has committed to the addition of an observer appointed by the ASC to the Nominations, People, and Culture Committee and the Board for a period of up to three years.”
Memo All: 1369 days to the Opening Ceremony in LA.
What was the beef? Why couldn’t Swim Australia set up its organizational arrangements however the heck it wanted to? Was this a wokeness fight?