Swimming Australia Chief Executive Alex Baumann to step down

August 9, 2021

Sport /

Swimming Australia has made the surprise announcement that Chief Executive Alex Baumann will be stepping down from the role for health reasons.

Baumann, who only took on the role in April, has just presided over a highly successful swimming program by the Australian team at the Tokyo Olympics. Prior to this he has made a significant contribution to the sport of swimming internationally and in Australia - as a dual Olympic gold medallist, a coach and as a sports administrator in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Swimming Australia President Kieren Perkins thanked Baumann for his service to the sport, including overseeing the nation’s most successful Olympic performance in the history of Australian swimming, commenting "Alex has been integral to our success from his experience in high performance as well as his leadership within our organisation.”

Commenting on his time with the sport, Baumann (pictured) noted "I'm proud of my contribution to swimming. My time at Swimming Australia, including the results at the Tokyo Olympics, will forever be a career highlight."

He said stepping down was a decision he came to after significant consideration following recent health issues, adding "as a two-time cancer survivor, I appreciate how important health and family are. I've been so pleased with the performance of our Olympians and excited for our para-swimmers who depart for Tokyo next week. I recognise the timing is difficult but I know I must take this time for myself and my family now.”

Perkins said Swimming Australia’s key focus is supporting the Dolphins competing in the Paralympics, and this will be the Board’s main focus over the coming weeks.

The Board will appoint an interim Chief Executive and begin the recruitment process, explaining "our next CEO will be tasked with leading Swimming Australia into the new era of swimming, with a focus on safe, elite performance and community engagement as we turn our attention to Paris 2024.”

Perkins said Baumann leaves the organisation with both the gratitude and support of the Board, concluding “we're sad to see Alex go. This is a great loss for our sport, but we understand his reasons for leaving and thank him for everything he has done at Swimming Australia. We understand health is more important than anything else. We wish him and his family all the best for the future.”

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19th December 2017 - Alex Baumann to help lead Swimming Australia High Performance strategy

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