Baumann to guide Australian pool push

FORMER Canadian Olympic champion Alex Baumann is Swimming Australia’s new chief executive.

Currently in charge of the Australian high-performance program, Baumann (pictured) will take over his new role in May, replacing Leigh Russell, who quit suddenly last year.

Baumann won two gold medals – both in world-record time – in individual medley events for Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics but has since forged a successful career in sports administration.

He has held key positions in Australia, Canada and New Zealand over more than two decades.

“He is highly regarded, not just within Swimming Australia but with all our member organisations and impressed us with his vision for our sport,” Swimming Australia president Kieren Perkins said.

“His current role means he already has an important strategic influence on the organisation and we are very excited to see him transition into the CEO role.

“One of the first jobs Alex will undertake is a strategic review of the business with an eye on Paris (Olympics in 2024) and beyond.”

Although he swam for Canada, Baumann now calls Australia home.

A former executive director for the Queensland Academy of Sport and CEO of Queensland Swimming, he married an Australian, Tracey Taggart, who he met at the 1982 Commonwealth Games and their two children were both born on the Gold Coast.

“We are Australia’s most successful Olympic sport but I want to see us become a leading sport within the fabric of the country,” Baumann said.

“Having led our high-performance team for the past few years, of which I am extremely proud, it is great to be able to put my CEO hat on again.”