Le Clos adds support to growing rebellion by top swimmers
GENEVA: Four-time Olympic medallist Chad le Clos threw his support behind a planned new competition that is leading top swimmers to rebel against their own governing body.
The International Swimming League (ISL), which aims to launch next year, “will benefit swimming with a new dynamic approach,” Le Clos said on Monday.
The ISL is privately owned and outside the control of Switzerlandbased governing body FINA. It also aims to pay higher prize money and involve athletes more in making decisions.
“Why should athletes not shape their own series like so many other Olympic sports?” the 2012 Olympic champion in 200m butterfly wrote on Twitter .
In an escalating dispute, ISL organisers cancelled a swim meet this month in Turin, Italy, after FINA threatened to ban those taking part.
In response on Friday, three swimmers – Hungarian great Katinka Hosszu, and American teammates Tom Shields and Michael Andrew – filed an antitrust suit against FINA in a California court.
FINA allegedly asked for US$50mil (RM209mil) over 10 years to let the ISL operate, before organisers called off talks.
Le Clos said he is “so disappointed that our sport is not open to change” and that it needs innovation.
“We need to create different media and commercial opportunities,” he said.
“Everyone in swimming should consider the future.”
The South African star fuelled the dispute ahead of competing in FINA’s short-course world championships in Hangzhou, China.
FINA said in a statement on Sunday they were focused on their 25m pool event rather than the legal challenge.
“As always, FINA remain open to proposals that would genuinely enhance – rather than conflict with – the current and planned competition calendars,” the governing body said.
An unrelated European ruling last year shows swimmers have a case to challenge possible anti-competitive behaviour. Dutch speedskaters won a European Commission decision in Brussels against the Swiss- based International Skating Union. They had been threatened with bans for wanting to compete in a South Korean-organised “Icederby” event in Dubai.