(Reuters) – Swimming Australia has named three-times Olympic champion Tracy Stockwell as its new president, the appointment coming in the wake of a recent apology for its treatment of women and girls on national teams.
Stockwell, who won three golds at the 1984 Los Angeles Games for the United States under her maiden name Caulkins, replaces Keiren Perkins in the job.
She said the role would allow her to give something back to swimming.
“Swimming has played such an important role in my life, and I feel privileged to take on a role that will empower me to give something back to the sport that has provided me with so many opportunities,” Stockwell said.
“With our Olympic and Paralympic athletes continuing to inspire, we have a collective responsibility to fuel the passion of those millions of Australians who love to swim, from the grassroots through to the elite, and continue to unify our broad community.”
Stockwell, who moved to Australia after marrying Australian swimmer Mark Stockwell, has long been a sports administrator.
Swimming Australia Chief Executive Eugenie Buckley said the governing body was fortunate to have someone of Stockwell’s calibre.
“As an athlete Tracy was an icon of swimming and, in the time since, has forged a path as a champion of change that now sees her as one of the most respected and renowned sporting administrators in the country,” Buckley said.
Last month, Swimming Australia apologised for its treatment of women and girls in the sport after the findings of an independent panel that looked into allegations of sexual misconduct made by double Olympic silver medallist Madeline Groves.
The report was commissioned last June after Groves pulled out of the Australian trials for the Tokyo Olympics, saying her withdrawal should be a lesson to “perverts … and their boot lickers” who exploit, body-shame and “medically gaslight” young women and girls.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Ballarat; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
