Swimming Australia sacks president Tracy Stockwell

The revolving door at Swimming Australia is in full swing again with the axing of yet another president. And the latest shock departure has caught the attention of FINA.

Swimming Australia has defended its bewildering decision to conceal the news its popular new president Tracy Stockwell was overthrown last month.

Stockwell was ousted as the boss of Australia’s favourite Olympic sport in a shock boardroom coup on October 26 — but the taxpaying public was not told.

It was only on Friday, after News Corp revealed Stockwell had been axed, that Swimming Australia released a statement confirming Michelle Gallen had been handed the reins of the country’s highest-funded Olympic sport.

Asked why it was hushed up, Swimming Australia told News Corp the board wanted to wait until her replacement was selected, which only happened this Thursday.

But the problem with sports keeping things under wraps is they have been repeatedly told they need to be completely transparent because too many dirty secrets have previously been swept under the carpet.

Mark and Tracy Stockwell, who is widely acknowledged as one of Australia’s most respected sports administrators.

At best, this is another terrible look for a sport that just can’t seem to keep itself out of hot water.

At worst, it’s a telltale sign there is a deeper problem in swimming because Stockwell is widely acknowledged as one of Australia’s most respected sports administrators who had transformed the Dolphins into world beaters.

A former Olympic gold medallist for the United States, she is an order of Australian recipient who is so highly thought of that she was appointed by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison to the high-powered organising committee for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Her husband, former swim star turned businessman Mark Stockwell, said he was baffled by his wife’s ruthless axing.

“I just look at what she has achieved,” he told News Corp.

“She steered the sport through Covid, and (abuse) inquiries and setting up reviews and then from a performance point of view, we’ve had our best Olympics ever.

“What’s happening on the pool deck, it’s never been better so she’s just done a great job and that’s the craziness in sport.”

Mark Stockwell says his wife’s sacking is “craziness”.

Stockwell was stripped of the presidency when she failed to retain her place on the board at last month’s Annual General Meeting.

One of five candidates applying for two spots, she was considered a shoo-in to keep her seat but lost out to Tim Ford and Susan Smith.

Gallen was promoted to president on November 10, becoming just the third female to hold the position.

“It is an honour to be elected as president of Swimming Australia,” she said.

“We are in a very exciting phase of regeneration and growth of our sport as we turn our attention towards Brisbane 2032 and maximise the opportunities for our community across the country.”

But highly-placed sources said Stockwell was thrown under the bus because of her close links and support of chief executive Eugenie Buckley, who replaced Alex Baumann last year.

Swimming Australia has always been highly fragmented but it’s an open secret that there is ongoing tension between the organisation and its nine member bodies who vote on the board’s make-up.

Kieren Perkins is another former president of Swimming Australia. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Those already deep divisions have only widened since Swimming Australia lost the backing of Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting after the last Olympics, leading to bitter fallouts over grassroots funding and pathway systems.

Sources have told News Corp more heads could roll but the timing could not be worse for the sport.

Despite currently boasting one of the best teams ever assembled, with the likes of Emma McKeon, Ariarne Titmus, Kaylee McKeown, Kyle Chalmers, Elijah Winnington, Mollie O’Callaghan and the Campbell sisters Cate and Bronte, Swimming Australia still does not have a major sponsor or free to air broadcast partner.

Stockwell is just the latest high-profile departure from Swimming Australia.

Her predecessor, Kieren Perkins replaced John Bertrand as president in late 2020 but announced just a year later he was stepping down to take on a bigger role running the Australian Sports Commission.

Ariarne Titmus, Mollie O'Callaghan, Kiah Melverton and Madison Wilson are part of the deep talent pool at Australia’s disposal at the moment.

In 2020, less than a year before the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, Leigh Russell stood down as CEO, and Jacco Verhaeren quit as head coach.

Stockwell’s shock departure has not gone unnoticed by swimming’s world governing body FINA, where she has close ties to the sport’s movers and shakers in North America.

FINA is currently undergoing mass reform after years of being accused of bad governance and is currently trying to mend relations with Swimming Australia after the fallout over Mack Horton’s brave protest against Sun Yang at the 2019 world titles.

When FINA stripped Russia of this year’s world shortcourse championships in response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, FINA chose Melbourne as the replacement host, not only for the swimming competition but also the FINA Congress, where some landmark decisions are expected to be unveiled.

Like FINA, Swimming Australia has also undergone massive cultural changes in recent years after the “toxic culture” of the sport was exposed during the 2012 London Olympics but continues to lurch from one public relations disaster to another.

Originally published as Swimming Australia sacks president Tracy Stockwell