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Larfaoui 'Steps Down' From Fight For FINA Presidency

May 30, 2009  - Craig Lord

Speculation is rife that Mustapha Larfaoui's 21-year presidency of FINA will end in Rome in July after the Algerian member of the IOC decided to step down from the presidential contest with Treasurer Julio Maglione. 

Rumours that reached SwimNews from Germany today have been confirmed as "accurate" by senior FINA sources. Official confirmation is yet to announced, but if the president's decision is confirmed, it will come as a relief to the swimming world. Some may link it directly to the suits issue and the distraction at a time of crisis of the bitter political infighting that developed as a result of Mr Larfaoui's decision to stand once more for the FINA presidency after first having indicated that he would make way for a new candidate.

But the effect of Larfaoui standing aside is  more significant for the future of FINA than the past: the president can pass to honorary status with some dignity, with the achievements of his years at the helm since 1988 credited to him, while a period of calm can descend on FINA before Congress in Rome, allowing all parties to work more closely on the solutions that must be found not only on suits but on the future structures of an international federation that has been perceived as dysfunctional at times of difficulty.

We await confirmation from FINA of the speculation spreading through the swimming community today. It is believed that the president made his decision known to the FINA executive in Lausanne yesterday, when issues regarding Rome 2009 and the suits crisis were discussed by the international federation's top table, including Maglione and Bartolo Consolo, the hon secretary.