🗊Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA)

Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA)

Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) is the International Federation (IF) recognized by the International Olympic Committee(IOC)  for administering international competition in the aquatic sports (its name translated from French is "International Swimming Federation"). It is one of several IFs which administer a given sport/discipline for the IOC and/or international community. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. FINA currently oversees competition in five aquatic sports: swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo and open water swimming. On July 24, 2009, Julio Maglione of Uruguay was elected FINA President.[2]

History FINA was founded on July 19, 1908 in the Manchester Hotel in London, UK at the end of the 1908 Summer Olympics by the Belgian, British, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian and Swedish Swimming Federations.[3] Number of national federations by year: 1908: 8 1928: 38 1958: 75 1978: 106 1988: 109 2000: 174 2008: 197 2010: 202

Members At the January 2010 FINA Bureau meeting, Tonga became the 202nd national federation of FINA.[4] Members are grouped by continent, and there are 5 continental associations of which they can choose to be a member: Africa (51): African Swimming Confederation (CANA) Americas (41): Swimming Union of the Americas (ASUA) Asia (43): Asian Amateur Swimming Federation (AASF) Europe (51): European Swimming League (LEN) Oceania (16): Oceania Swimming Association (OSA)

Presidents Each presidential term is four years, beginning and concluding with the year following the Summer Olympics (i.e., 2009-2013 is the current term).

Organization The FINA membership meets every four years, usually coinciding with the World Championships. There are two types of normal or "ordinary" congress: General and Technical. FINA’s highest authority is the General Congress. Any technical issues concerning FINA’s five aquatic disciplines are decided by the Technical Congress. Each Congress has two voting members from each Member federation, plus the following non-voting members: the 22 members of the Bureau, the Honorary Life President, and all Honorary Members. The Technical Congress has the following additional non-voting members: all members from the respective Technical Committees.[5] "Extraordinary" Congress are also called from time to time, to deal with a specific topic or area of concern (e.g., an Extraordinary Congress was held with the 2009 World Championships to review the Masters swimming rules; there was a General Congress at the 2009 Worlds[6]). All Congress meetings are chaired by FINA's president.[5] Between Congress meetings of the entire membership, a smaller 22-member representative board, called the FINA Bureau, meets to act in a timely manner on items which cannot wait until the entire body can meet. It is the Bureau that elects the FINA Executive Officers.[7] Various committees and commission also help with the oversight of individual disciplines (e.g. the Technical Open Water Swimming Committee helps with open water), or topic-related issues (e.g. the FINA Doping Panel).[8]

Events FINA organizes one (1) championship involving each of the five disciplines it oversees (the "World Championships"), as well championships and circuits in each of the disciplines.[10] [edit]World Championships Main article: FINA World Championships The biggest FINA event is the biennial World Championships, currently held every odd year. It features competitions in all five aquatic disciplines. Prior to 2000, the event was held every 4 years, in the even year between (Summer) Olympic Games. [edit]Discipline championships Swimming: World Swimming Championships (25m), (aka "Short Course Worlds"). Bi-annual event (in even years), swim in 25-meter length pool (Olympic and World Championships are in a 50m pool). Water Polo: Water Polo World Leagues (men's and women's). Diving: Diving World Series Open Water: World Open Water Swimming Championships (aka "Open Water Worlds"). Even years from 2000-2010. Synchronized Swimming: Synchro World Cup. Masters: World Masters Championships (aka "Masters Worlds"). Bi-annual, in even years. "Masters" competition is for adults (20 years old and up). This championships features all 5 disciplines. [edit]Other events In addition to the championships events listed above, FINA also organizes the following annual events, and sub-championships: World Cups: in swimming, water polo (men's, women's), diving, open water (10Ks) and synchro. Grand Prix: Annual race/competition series of multiple events in open water (races over 10-kilometers). Junior Worlds: A world-level championships restricted to a younger age population (typically under-18, though can vary by discipline/gender). Held in swimming, water polo, diving, and synchronized swimming. Open Water is to begin in 2012. World Men's Water Polo Development Trophy

World Anti-Doping Code On 5th March, 2003, the international sports movement gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark, and approved the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code. The Code sets out “. . . specific anti-doping rules and principles that are to be followed by organisations responsible for adopting, implementing or enforcing anti-doping rules within authority — e.g., the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, International Federations, Major Event Organisations and National Anti-Doping Organisations.”  On 11th July, 2003, the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA), the International Federation governing the aquatic disciplines of Swimming, Synchronised Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water Swimming and Masters Swimming, at its Extraordinary Congress in Barcelona, Spain, decided to accept the World Anti-Doping Code. Simultaneously, FINA enacted a new set of Doping Control Rules as its own Anti-Doping Rules pursuant to the Code. These Rules came into effect worldwide on 11th September, 2003. The FINA Doping Control Rules apply to each Participant in the activities of FINA or any of its Member Federations by virtue of the Participant’s membership, accreditation or participation in FINA, its Member Federations, or their Competitions. FINA’s new Anti-Doping Rules apply to all Doping Controls under FINA’s jurisdiction. All Member Federations must comply with FINA’s Anti-Doping Rules. Each Member Federation’sregulations must stipulate that they deem all FINA Rules, including Anti-Doping Rules, as incorporated into and directly applicable to and followed by Competitors, Competitor Support Personnel, coaches, physicians, team leaders, and club and Federation representatives under that Federation’s jurisdiction.

The Bahamas Swimming Federation [BSF] is a Member of FINA and, as such, is bound by FINA’s Doping Control Rules. Accordingly, all Competitors, Competitor Support Personnel, coaches, physicians, team leaders, and club and Federation representatives under the BSF’s jurisdiction must also comply with the FINA Doping Control Rules. Consequently, FINA requires the BSF to: a) report all Doping Control results of BSF and other Competitors to FINA; b) allow FINA to conduct Doping Control at BSF National Championships or any other Competition within the BSF’s jurisdiction; and c) allow FINA to conduct unannounced Testing on any Competitor under the BSF’s jurisdiction. Additionally, on 31st July, 2003, the Hon. Neville W. Wisdom, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, signed the Copenhagen Declaration on Anti-Doping in Sports on behalf of the Bahamas Government. Bahamian Athletes/Competitors are now subject to the Code and the Bahamas Olympic Association [BOA] is, effectively, the National Anti-Doping Organisation for The Bahamas for the time being. Consequently, the BOA will conduct Doping Control within The Bahamas similar to FINA's anti-doping policies and procedures. The purpose and scope of these pages are to assist Competitors, Competitor Support Personnel, coaches, physicians, team leaders, and club and Federation representatives under the BSF’s jurisdiction understand the current anti-doping rules and policies of FINA, specifically how it affects each Person, and the Competitor’s role and responsibilities during In-Competition and Out-of-Competition Testing.