Olympic champion Kieren Perkins identified as man to lead Swimming Australia
With Australian swimming in crisis, one of its Olympic heroes could be the man to bring some much-needed leadership.
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Olympic champion Kieren Perkins has been “anointed” to take over the Swimming Australia presidency.
Current president John Bertrand identified Perkins as his potential successor before the two-time Olympic gold medallist was appointed to the Swimming Australia board in June this year.
One of Australia’s greatest distance swimmers, Perkins’ straight-shooting nature and deft business sense could be what the sport needs.
There’s hope in the swimming community he will provide more accountability than Bertrand, who hasn’t been seen during the Shayna Jack drugs scandal.
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Bertrand was holidaying while all hell broke loose on the pool deck at the World Swimming Championships in Korea. The president is still yet to publicly address the Jack situation.
Swimming Australia chief executive Leigh Russell was also absent from Gwangju, taking part in a leadership course, but fronted up to the media on the Sunday immediately after Jack’s news broke.
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But Bertrand or Russell should have boarded a plane to Korea as soon as Mack Horton made his anti-drugs protest.
Even better, they should have been transparent and honest by announcing that Jack had tested positive upon the return of the B sample on July 19 — two days before the world championships began.
Although Russell went strictly by swimming’s confidentiality policy — and noting up until the Jack scandal her strong leadership has been well received within the sport — the decision to not disclose the Australian swimmer’s positive drug test immediately was an incredibly bad one.
The shockwaves are still being felt across the sport.
Senior swimming stakeholders will meet this week to decide what action to take after the controversial handling of the Jack positive drug test and Horton’s protest.
A review into the events of Australia’s tumultuous world championship is expected to be raised in that teleconference.
If Swimming Australia is to embark on yet another review, it must be external and independent.
The sport, funded by the taxpayer upwards of $17 million last financial year, can’t just be scrutinised internally. The public expects more — especially after the secrecy surrounding Jack’s positive test.
After Jack’s mysterious exit from the world champs, text messages suspecting a positive drug test was the reason for her departure did the rounds and had hit many swimmers’ phones as well as swim squads back in Australia before the news broke.
It was ignorant to think news of Jack’s positive test wouldn’t get out.
While prolific Dolphins swimmers and retired star Ian Thorpe have publicly backed Swimming Australia’s position to keep positive tests private, several swimmers who have spoken to this columnist disagree.
Others have been annoyed by Swimming Australia’s “arse covering” email sent to Dolphins swimmers that reminded the Australian team about drug-testing protocol, policies and to again be wise about supplements.
There’s also a firm belief that Jack should have been allowed to speak publicly when she wanted to. The fact she was denied that opportunity is concerning.
And so the sport of swimming finds itself in a trying state. Again.
The sport relies mostly on the benevolence of billionaire Gina Rinehart to pay its swimmers. And that begs the question: what does Rinehart think of all this?
Then there’s the fact they lost a valuable sponsorship with Optus late last year.
The world championships were not telecast (FINA expected a ridiculous price of $500,000) and their relationship with the Olympic host broadcaster Channel 7 is now said to be average.
Today David Riccio has revealed allegations about Jack’s swim coach Dean Boxall’s alarming practices on the St Peters College pool deck.
It’s a brutal coaching method that needs to go. Pushing teenagers in the pool that hard shouldn’t be accepted.
Maybe Perkins is the person to help lead the sport out of this mess?
The champion swimmer didn’t return calls but it was in June that Perkins was announced as joining the Swimming Australia board as a non-executive director.
Another source said Perkins’ possible ascent to the presidency was “news” to the former champ.
There’s no doubt Bertrand wants him to succeed him and Sport Australia chair John Wylie is also understood to be pushing for the distance swimmer.
Perkins has now worked in the banking sector for a decade and holds the position as a general manager at NAB Business and Private Bank.
He is expected to bring to the Swimming Australia table “a wealth of strategic business and financial experience”.
He returned to the Swimming Australia board after having served from 2001-07. He replaced non-executive director Simon Rothery, who is said to have made the decision to step down after serving since 2014.
Bertrand said at the time of his appointment in June that Perkins would be an asset to the Swimming Australia board.
“His legacy in the sport embodies our values to enrich and inspire the nation and I know he has the best interests of our sport at heart.”
Whether Perkins takes the presidency or not, it is clear there needs to be better leadership from the front office.
Someone needs to step up as this scandal rolls on.
“If Perkins is up to it, it’s an opportunity to make a statement as a member of that board,” a swim official said.
“Something has to happen here to change the perception of Swimming Australia and mismanaging of crises.”
Originally published as Olympic champion Kieren Perkins identified as man to lead Swimming Australia
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