Swimming Australia members agreed to drastic changes to save organisation from World Aquatics banishment threat

Swimming Australia’s member organisations have agreed to drastic changes to save the organisation from the humiliation of being expelled from the sport after a scathing report into abuse.

Swimming Australia’s (SAL) member organisations have agreed to adopt a new constitution to save the embattled national federation from the humiliation of being expelled from the sport’s world governing body.

The proposed changes were initially rejected by the nine voting members at a special general meeting held on Friday night, but a hastily arranged second vote on an amended version saw the historic reforms passed

Only Queensland, which provides the bulk of Australia’s elite swimmers, voted against the new constitution.

“We’re delighted that voting members have come together in the spirit of consultation and in the best interests of the sport and have passed a new constitution 8 votes to 1,” SAL’s interim president Susan Smith said.

World Aquatics (AQUA), which had threatened to expel SAL from the sport’s global governing body if it didn’t usher in major reforms, also welcomed the news.

Australian swimming is under heavy pressure from its world governing body. (Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP)

“We understand that change is not easy, but today‘s results show the membership’s shared commitment to the betterment of aquatics in Australia,”AQUA executive director Brent Nowicki said.

Under the new agreement, the number of voting members will be increased to at least 21, including giving a guaranteed place on the board for an independent swimmer’s committee representative and a representative of AQUA.

There will also be the creation of a new role as vice president.

Elections for the new voting positions are expected to take place as early as next month so all the changes can be ready for a fresh start in March 2024.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) said the reforms would bring SAL’s outdated governance models in line with the standards expected of government supported sports that are heavily reliant on the public purse.

“Change of this nature is never easy and was done with the future generation of Australian swimmers in mind,” ASC Chair Josephine Sukkar said.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), which had already given assurances the country’s best swimmers would be allowed to race at next year’s Paris Olympics and Paralympics regardless of the vote, said it hoped the spotlight would now return to the swim team after years of administrative turbulence.

“The AOC welcomes the vote of Swimming Australia members to support changes to its constitution, ensuring that Swimming Australia can focus on the athletes and growing the sport into the future,” the AOC said.

SAL only ordered the special general meeting in mid August after this masthead obtained and published confidential letters in which AQUA privately warned the Australian federation it was at risk of being expelled if it didn’t introduce major reforms and give athletes a greater say.

AQUA threatened to install its own stabilisation committee if a new constitution was not agreed to then later agreed to help broker a deal after member organisations - which includes the state and territory swimming associations plus swimming and coaching representatives - said they would reject the proposed changes unless significant amendments were made.

It is understood AQUA agreed to at least six last-minute compromises to get the vote over the line with the required 75% approval.

One of these changes was a backflip over the number of elected and appointed board members.

While it was agreed Australia’s AQUA vice-president Matt Dunn will join the board the member organisations - who have long held reservations about the way SAL has run the sport - were adamant that there must be a majority of elected members.

Australia’s AQUA representative Matt Dunn in 2000.

It is understood that Dunn, a five-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist swimmer, held a series of private meetings with the member organisations earlier this week to hear their concerns and help break the impasse.

Underlining the enormous depth of problems that still exist within SAL, AQUA is also seeking an explanation about why they covered up a shocking report into the abuse of female participants at the same time they were asking for help to resolve an escalating crisis that could see them banished from the sport.

Completed two years ago, the scathing review into the mistreatment of women and girls in Australian swimming was never published in full despite a recommendation from the three independent panellists to let the public know the real truth about the sport’s darkest secrets.

SAL maintains it decided not to publish the sordid details in full - which included harrowing accounts of groping, abuse, body-shaming, public humiliation, harassment and sexism - because it was concerned it might unwittingly identify any of the anonymous whistleblowers.

But former swimmers, including living legend Dawn Fraser, have slammed SAL’s handling of the case after this masthead obtained and published a leaked copy of the disturbing details in the review, calling for wholesale changes within the sport.

AQUA’s leadership - who have been strongly advocating for greater transparency around the protection of all participants - were so shocked by the findings in the leaked report they asked their own integrity unit to make further inquiries.

“The future starts now,” Nowicki said.

Originally published as Swimming Australia members agreed to drastic changes to save organisation from World Aquatics banishment threat