United States Aquatic Sports is placing its support fully behind incumbent Julio Maglione in this summer’s elections for the president of FINA, according to a letter SwimSwam obtained today.
United States Aquatic Sports is the overall banner for the various national governing bodies of aquatic sports in the United States: USA Swimming, USA Diving, United States Synchro Swimming, USA Water Polo and U.S. Masters Swimming. In the letter, United States Aquatic Sports President Steve McFarland says his organization has consistently supported Maglione in the past and will continue to support him in his bid for reelection. The letter is written to Felix Calderon, the president of CCCAN, the Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation.
Maglione is running against Paolo Barelli, the Italian Senator and head of the Italian Swimming Federation. The 81-year-old Maglione has been in office since 2009, and has a chance at being reelected to a third term because FINA abolished its age limits on the post (previously 80 years old) during Maglione’s time in office.
The support of USAS will be a pretty key piece in Maglione’s campaign. Maglione got the official endorsement of the swimming federation governing all of the Americas (UANA) back in 2015, and McFarland says in his letter that USAS helped make that endorsement happen. McFarland also says USAS “reaffirmed” their support of Maglione just last month in a meeting.
Agree with Tom. If The goal is to drain the swamp why keep the guy who changes the rules so he can stay in his cushy position sucking down dollars. And Barelli has promised to clean up FINA and have USAS have a greater role. Stupid move USAS.
Such a joke what a bunch of minions making these decisions
FINA is as corrupt an international organization as the rest of them whoever puts money in their pockets sets the tone on what’s important in the sport. Cough cough China and Russia with lax doping punishments seems to be one that people seem to notice frequently
I would like to see more public discussion about this decision. I don’t think I like either of the choices to head FINA. I certainly hate that Maglione changed the rules so he could stay. I don’t think I like an 81 year old guy running FINA. I don’t like the lax attitude toward PED doping.
Maybe a little more serious work on blood doping and less on inventing new events. Seriously, why is synchronized diving even a sport.
People are more worried about the medal count in Budapest than the future of the sport. As trump would say “very sad!!!”