Janet Evans Nominated By USA Swimming For FINA Bureau

Janet Evans has been nominated by USA Swimming to represent the Americas on the FINA Bureau, USA Swimming documents indicate. We’re told that her term would run 2021-2025.

A FINA Bureau nomination form appears in the minutes of USA Swimming’s May Board of Directors meeting, bearing Evans’ information. The FINA Bureau is made up of 25 voting members who represent the various continental organizations. The Bureau itself has some administrative power within the international swimming governing body, interpreting and enforcing FINA rules, submitting proposals to the General Congress and appointing other officials within the federation.

Each of the five continental federations elects a specific number of representatives to the Bureau: 4 each for Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe and 1 from Oceania. Of those 17, one from each continent is selected as a Vice President. Then there are 8 more at-large bids from the world as a whole.  Julio Maglione has already been re-elected as FINA President for a third term.

Dale Neuburger, who has been the Vice President representing the Americas since 2000, has announced his plans to retire in 2021, opening up a spot for UANA (the continental governing body for the Americas) to fill. Neuburger is currently the only representative of the United States in the FINA Bureau.

Evans is well-known for her legendary swimming career, which included four Olympic gold medals and world records spanning from the 400 to 1500 freestyle. Lately, Evans has been back in the news as a Vice Chair and Athletes director for the Los Angeles’ most recent Olympic bid. The city was awarded the 2028 Olympics last fall.

United States Aquatic Sports, which represents USA Swimming, US Masters Swimming, USA Diving, USA Synchro and USA Water Polo, asked each of those federations to submit a nominee. Evans is the nominee from USA Swimming. USAS will select their official representative at its convention in September.

You can see the current FINA Bureau here.

The minutes of the May 12 USA Swimming Board of Directors meeting also list the credentials of a number of other nominees for swimming governance posts. We’re told that the following resumes and recommendations are for the following positions:

• There is a letter nominating Van Donkergoed to the UANA Executive Committee
• Jay Thomas and Cecil Gordon are nominated for positions on the UANA Technical Swimming Committee
• Rick Walker and Andrew Gemmell are nominated for positions on the UANA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee
• Michael Lawrence is nominated to the UANA Coaches Commission
• Dr. Dilaawar Mistry is nominated to the UANA Sports Medicine Committee

The full minutes of the Board of Directors meeting are here.