World Aquatics Unveils 20 Members of the Athletes Committee

World Aquatics has named 20 representatives to its Athletes Committee, an advisory committee to the governing body’s decision making bureau.

The committee has no formal voting power, except that the group’s elected chair serves as an ex officio member of the Bureau and Executive. The group does have an advisory role to communicate athletes’ perspectives to AQUA on matters on the organization of competition, technical rules proposals, to bring forward any “suggestions” or “remarks” made by athletes during competitions, and to participate in technical committee meetings.

The committee is made up of:

• 20 athletes from elections conducted at the World Aquatics World Championships
  • 10 swimming athletes, comprised of one male and one female athlete from each AQUA continent (Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe, and Oceania)
  • 2 open water athletes, one male and one female
  • 2 diving athletes, one male and one female
  • 2 high diving athletes, one male and one female
  • 2 artistic swimming athletes, one male and one female
  • 2 water polo athletes, one male and one female
• 6 athletes appointed by the World Aquatics President (subject to the approval of the AQUA Bureau)
• 6 honorary members appointed by the World Aquatics President (subject to the approval of the AQUA Bureau)
• All athlete(s) from any of the aquatics disciplines who are members of the IOC Athletes Commission

The new committee will be the second edition since the program was inaugurated from 2022-2026 and will officially take their positions next year. The athlete representatives were voted on by participants in the World Aquatics Championships that took place earlier this summer in Singapore, with a requirement that the 10 swimming slots went to 1 male and 1 female from each AQUA-defined continent (Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania).

Among the most-accomplished swimmers in the pool on the list is Chinese swimmer Wang Shun. The 31-year-old is a three-time Olympic medalist in the 200 IM, including winning gold in Tokyo in 2020. Wang was one of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive before the Olympic Games for a banned substance before those Olympic Games, though he has maintained his innocence.

The committee’s other Olympic medalist in swimming is Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong. While she withdrew from the 2025 World Championships with a back injury, she has four World Championship medals in long course, six in short course, and four Olympic medals (two silver, two bronze) in the 100 and 200 meter freestyles.

Austrian Felix Auboeck was the 2021 World Short Course Champion and the 2024 European Long Course Champion in the 400 freestyle. Simona (Kubova) Rushton from Czech was the 2013 European Short Course Champion in the 50 backstroke and the 2012 World Short Course Championships bronze medalist in the 100 back.

Both Rushton and Haughey have something in common: Rushton is married to Tom Rushton, who is Haughey’s coach.

Among the swimming members of the committee, only Wang represents a country that won a medal at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in swimming.

In other disciplines,

• Bill May of the United States was the 2015 World Champion in the mixed duet technical routine in artistic swimming,
• Ona Ballestero of Spain is a two-time Olympic medalist in artistic swimming,
• Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil is one of the most decorated open water swimmers in history including Olympic gold in 2020 and seven World Championship titles,
• Melissa Wu of Australia is a two-time Olympic medalist on platform (2008 and 2020),
• Jack Laugher of Great Britain is a four-time Olympic medalist, winning gold in 3-meter synchro at the 2016 Games, and a nine-time World Championship medalist,
• Rita Keszthelyi of Hungary won an Olympic bronze medal in water polo in 2020 and four World Championship medals, and
• Marko Bijac of Croatia won Olympic silver medals in 2016 and 2024 and World Championship gold medals in 2017 and 2024.

Haughey and Cunha are holdovers from the prior committee.

The honorary selections have not yet been announced.

World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee (2025-2029)

Swimming

• Alexia Sotomayor (Peru)
• Siwakhile Dlamini (Eswatini)
• Collins Saliboko (Tanzania)
• Jorge Iga (Mexico)
• Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong)
• Wang Shun (China)
• Simona Rushton (Czech Republic)
• Felix Auboeck (Austria)
• Cheyenne Rova (Fiji)
• Wesley Tikiariki Roberts (Cook Islands)

Open Water

• Ana Marcela Cunha (Brazil)
• David Farinango (Ecuador)

Artistic Swimming

• Ona Carbonell Ballestero (Spain)
• Bill May (United States)

Diving

• Melissa Wu (Australia)
• Jack Laugher (Great Britain)

High Diving

• Ginni van Katwijk (Netherlands)
• Catalina-Petru Preda (Romania)

Water Polo

• Rita Keszthelyi (Hungary)
• Marko Bijac (Croatia)