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Fédération Internationale de Natation

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Article Genealogy
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Fédération Internationale de Natation
NameFédération Internationale de Natation
Founded19 July 1908
HeadquartersLausanne, Switzerland
PresidentHusain Al-Musallam
Websitehttps://www.fina.org

Fédération Internationale de Natation. It is the international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee for administering international competitions in aquatic sports. Founded in 1908, it oversees the sports of swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, and open water swimming. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, and it establishes the rules and organizes world championships for its disciplines.

History

The federation was established on 19 July 1908 in the Hotel Manchester in London, following the 1908 Summer Olympics, by the national federations of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, and Sweden. Its first president was George Hearn of Great Britain. The organization grew steadily, with its first world championships outside the Olympic Games being the 1973 World Aquatics Championships in Belgrade. A significant administrative shift occurred in 2023 when the organization rebranded as World Aquatics following a vote at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka.

Governance and structure

The supreme authority of the federation is the General Congress, which meets every four years. Day-to-day governance is managed by an elected Bureau, led by the president. The current president is Husain Al-Musallam from Kuwait, who succeeded Julio Maglione of Uruguay in 2021. Key operational and rule-making functions are carried out by technical committees for each discipline, such as the Technical Swimming Committee and the Technical Diving Committee. The organization's main office is located in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne.

Member federations and regions

The federation comprises over 200 national member federations, which are grouped into five continental associations: the African Swimming Confederation, the Americas Swimming Confederation, the Asian Swimming Federation, the European Swimming League, and the Oceania Swimming Association. These regional bodies organize continental championships and development programs. Prominent member federations include USA Swimming, Swimming Australia, and the Chinese Swimming Association.

Recognized competitions

The federation's premier event is the World Aquatics Championships, held every two years. It also organizes the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) for short-course swimming, the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, and the FINA Swimming World Cup series. As the governing body for aquatic sports in the Olympic Games, it oversees the swimming, diving, water polo, and artistic swimming events at the Summer Olympics. Other major competitions include the FINA Diving World Series and the FINA Marathon Swim World Series.

Disciplines and rules

The federation governs five core aquatic disciplines, each with its own specific technical rules. For swimming, it regulates strokes like freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly stroke and oversees world record ratification. In diving, it sets standards for events from the 10 metre platform and 3 metre springboard. Artistic swimming (formerly synchronized swimming) rules cover technical and free routines. Water polo rules govern gameplay, while open water swimming regulations cover marathon events in natural bodies of water. The federation's rulebook is updated regularly and enforced at all sanctioned competitions.

Controversies and challenges

The federation has faced significant criticism over its handling of doping cases, particularly involving high-profile athletes from nations like China and Russia. Its governance and financial transparency have been questioned, leading to reforms. The organization has also navigated controversies related to the eligibility of transgender athletes in women's competitions, implementing new policies. Political challenges have included disputes over the participation of athletes from Israel and Kuwait in international events. The 2023 rebranding to World Aquatics was part of an effort to modernize its image and address some institutional criticisms.

Category:International sports federations Category:Sports organizations established in 1908 Category:Aquatic sports