australian swimming 93rd annual report 2001/2002

don talbot
Former National Head Coach
At a youth level, the 2002 National Age
Championships, was without doubt one of our
most successful on record with a dozen Age and
two open records established at a five-day meet
at the Sydney Aquatic Centre.
The 2001 year also saw the retirement of long
serving executive director Vena Murray, who
played such a pivotal role in the success of our
sport throughout a period which saw the
marketing, sponsorship and promotion of
swimming reach new heights. Vena became a
very intricate part of an Australian swimming
team which grasped new opportunities and
directed our sport through some turbulent times.
Into the role of chief executive o÷cer came
former NSW Swimming executive director Glenn
Tasker who has already made his presence felt as
we progress towards the next Olympics in Athens.
Swimming has also undergone major changes in
its governance which can only see our sport grow
even further and faster and something which
Glenn Tasker has expanded on in his report.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all
of our sponsors—in particular our principal
sponsors Telstra, our corporate partners Channel
Nine, Fox Sports, Qantas and Speedo and also
the level of support Australian Swimming
receives from the Australian Sports Commission,
the Australian Olympic Committee and the
Australian Commonwealth Games Association.
Telstra has been part of our swimming family for
10 years and the level of support they have
provided for us throughout the past decade has
been the major reason why we have been able
to implement the programs and provide the
level of support for our athletes and coaches.
07
It is also opportune to welcome on board a
new corporate partner in Fisher & Paykel who
will sponsor our National Youth Squad—the
Fisher & Paykel Flippers and the Fisher &
Paykel National Age Championships.
April 2002 also saw the launch of the ASI club
manual with Tasmanian Swimming executivedirector
Len Yeats providing countless hours of
work to give clubs right around Australia an
insight into what makes a swimming club tick.
stop press: As we approach 2003, it is also
timely to briefly mention the performances of
our Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific
Championship teams.
Australia once again topped the gold medal
tally and the overall medal tally at the
Commonwealth Games in Manchester against
spirited competition, especially from England.
The Dolphins then returned home briefly,
before producing outstanding performances at
the Pan Pacific Championships in Yokohama,
with the USA providing outstanding
competition.
The 2003 season will see the Australia–USA
‘Duel In the Pool’ in Indianapolis before the
World Championships in Barcelona next year.
John Devitt am
president
australian swimming inc.