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AAP
AAP
Steve Larkin

Swimming Australia urges reform at emergency meeting

Swimming Australia is urging member associations to vote for reforms to the way the sport is run. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)

Swimming Australia's board hope they are on the verge of reforms that prevent the world governing body taking over the sport in this country.

SA's board will urge member associations at an emergency meeting on Friday to adopt reforms proposed by World Aquatics and backed by Olympic powerbrokers.

World Aquatics threatened to expel SA if the constitutional reforms, which effectively give more say to athletes and coaches, aren't supported.

Any such move would not impact Australian swimmers competing at global  events.

"We have made positive progress with our members and we remain hopeful of getting the right outcome for the benefit of our sport, and particularly for our athletes," SA's interim president Susan Smith said.

Smith is the latest in a string of SA presidents and chief executives in the past few years, a fact that has alarmed the world sports hierarchy.

The Australian and international Olympic committees are among those urging SA members to adopt constitutional reform.

Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman
Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman is keen to see reforms implemented.

"The sport needs to be able to move on, so we urge all parties to adopt the proposed amendments," Australian Olympic Committee president Ian Chesterman said.

Australian Sports Commission (ASC) chair Josephine Sukkar said the funding of sports relied on good governance.

"As one of our leading and highest-funded sports, we welcome these changes," Sukkar said.

Australia's swimmers topped the medal tally at the world championships in July, winning 13 gold medals.

Sukkar said the ASC was working to ensure the preparation of elite swimmers for next year's Olympic and Paralympic Games "are not impacted by these changes and that swimming's future is one of continued success".

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