This month, SwimNews considers the future of FINA as the governing body prepares to vote on constitutional change at an Extraordinary Congress in Shanghai this July, as outlined in our introductory article;.
Fundamental difficulties at the heart of FINA are the decision-making process, accountability, a reluctance to deal with the balls and chains of history that it could so easily free itself from and genuinely celebrate the fine history that is there for all to see (call it culture, and we shall return to that theme later in the series) - and communication, not just with the wider world of swimming but within the organisation. Time and again as a reporter I have spoken to senior figures at the helm of national, continental and indeed the international federation on critical issues only to be told "I don't know", "as far as I'm aware, we've never discussed that", "the Bureau had no say in that decision", and so forth.
There has been a tendency to blame one section or another for problems arising in the areas outlined above. But there are two sides to every coin and if accusations of abuse of position and power hold water, then so too does the view that those who feel left out, kept in the dark, believe decisions are taken in their name without their say so have a duty to ask questions, stand up, thump a tub and make sure that they are indeed informed all along the way and that they demand that of all who represent them and the sport of swimming at national and international level.
On suits in 2009, on the tragic death of Fran Crippen in 2010, in common with other moments of crisis down the years, FINA has given the impression of being out of control, a lack of clarity leading to accusations of skulduggery or just plain incompetence. While such things cannot be ruled out, they are rarely the main cause of chaos.
For explanation of why things go wrong, it is helpful to look at where FINA finds itself on the treadmill of history and development. In one sense, amateur days are long gone, replaced by a sport that spends several million dollars a year on prizes to athletes (the spoils go to the few but the corresponding commercial conditions imposed apply to all), spends sizeable amounts each year on development schemes, attracts vast sums from selling broadcast rights and enters into substantial commercial deals with "partners" and "sponsors".
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