Olympic chief welcomes rebel swim league

OLYMPIC supremo Thomas Bach has given his seal of approval to the proposed rebel professional league that has forced swimming’s notoriously heavy-handed world governing body to make long overdue reforms.

While FINA is furious that its iron-fisted control of the sport is being challenged by the breakaway International Swimming League, the IOC president believes that competition is not only normal but ultimately good for everyone.

“FINA is not the only international federation where you see commercial organisers are offering competitions to athletes,” Bach said. “You don’t even think about this anymore.

“Look at tennis, look at cycling, look at football, look at many other sports where they have this kind of system.”

Bach, who will meet faceto-face with FINA’s leaders at this week’s SportAccord on the Gold Coast, said it was clear that swimmers were already benefiting from the stoush between FINA and ISL.

Not only will swimmers finally get the chance to earn a decent salary by competing in ISL’s $7.5 million proposed global team event, but FINA has also been shamed into softening its strongman treatment of athletes.

Faced with a class-action lawsuit from disgruntled competitors, FINA withdrew its outrageous threat to ban swimmers from competing at next year’s Tokyo Olympics if they signed for ISL.

Then, FINA responded by announcing a new $5.5 million series of its own, opening its purse strings in a rare peace offering to swimmers.