FINA changes its storied name to “World Aquatics”

FINA changes its storied name to “World Aquatics” : FINA, the organisation that governs swimming, renames itself to “World Aquatics” after a century. On Monday, the extraordinary general session of the International Swimming Federation (FINA) in Melbourne decided to change its name to “World Aquatics.” The governing body’s official name since 1908 has been Federation International de Natacion, which translates as International Federation of Swimming.

All aquatics athletes would be united for the first time “under one brand,” according to FINA President Husain Al-Musallam.

He said,

“We need a name that reflects the whole FINA family, a name that can be used with pride by our artistic swimmers, divers, high divers, open water swimmers, and our water polo athletes.

I will always tell you that our athletes must come first. So I would never make a decision like this without consulting our athletes. Their response has been very clear: More than 70% of the athletes that we have spoken with have said that they would like us to change FINA’s name. Many of them could not even tell us what FINA’s letters stand for. We have spoken to people in every part of FINA’s family, including people in this room today, it is important that you all have a voice in a decision like that. FINA is our past, and we should look back on much of the past with affection, but our future must begin here today.”

FINA executive director Brent Nowicki revealed that Portuguese lawyer Alexandre Miguel Mestre had been unanimously selected as the substitute after one member of the Unit’s adjudicatory board had to retire owing to personal reasons. As part of a gender equality push, nine additional women are anticipated to join the FINA Bureau, increasing the gender ratio to 38% female and closer to parity. Additionally, the FINA delegates decided to ratify a new constitution that, among other changes, calls for the establishment of an independent Aquatics Integrity Unit to function as of January 1, 2023.

Seven years after former president Julio Maglione abolished age restrictions to allow him to seek for a third term in 2017, membership in the federation’s executive bureau will now have a 75-year-old age limit. The Olympic Charter of the International Olympic Committee, which has an eight-year term that is renewable once for another four years, will now be followed by presidential term limitations as well.

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