This file was updated on August 28 after permission was granted to name the leading coach, among many others thinking along the same lines, we quoted

Leading US coaches are of the view that FINA's days as the governing body for swimming are numbered because of the "undemocratic" way in which it is run. On the eve of the American Swimming Coaches Association World Clinic in Indianapolis next week, the body's executive director, John Leonard, has issued an open letter entitled The End of FINA (’s Democratic Process)?.

The response to the paper from some of the biggest names in world coaching title to "The End of FINA" will raise alarm bells not only among those running world swimming but in IOC circles too at a time when rumours abound that leading figures in the international federation are pressing for a return of the bodysuit, albeit in textile. Some suit makers want to see the return of the full non-textile performance-enhancement that came to a head at the Rome world titles circus in July last year days after FINA Congress voted overwhelmingly to ban non-texiles, while also insisting on a cut back in profile that bar men from covering their torsos and lower legs.

In a document seen by SwimNews, Eddie Reese, one of the world's leading coaches responds to Leonard's paper as follows: "It is time to openly start another organization ... the best swimming nations have a "universal games" at the same time as the Olympics. The athletes would be very important in this situation (as they always are)." Reese wisely notes that any skipping of FINA events would require athlete cooperation - a requirement under the US Amateur Sports Act.

Reese, a board member of ASCA and coach in Texas to the likes of Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker and a host of other world leaders in the race pool down the years, is far from being alone in the ranks of top coaches (and not only from the US) who are growing ever more irritated with FINA's lack of recognition for coaches when it comes to decision-making. Coaches have often led the sport to places where FINA was seemingly reluctant to go, most notably in the war on doping and taking action against the likes of China, the dope-soaked scourge of world swimming in the 1990s.

A second leading light from the coaching world reports himself to be in "100% in agreement with" the author of the above note and suggests the creation of an international corporation including leading athletes who wish to protect the rights to "protect their bodies". In the US, there is particular concern over the return of bodysuits as a result of patents filed by interests with a military background who are now bringing into the public realm products that look and feel like the suits of 2009 but are designed to treat patients suffering from cancer and other life-threatening ailments. Sources close to those patents have suggested that the products are engineered in a way that would allow manipulation of the peripheral central nervous system. In medicine: great breakthrough. In sport: doping in a new form.

One of Leonard's concerns is the resistance within FINA to coaches being represented at FINA Bureau level. Athletes are due to gain non-voting representation in the near future under proposals yet to be formally agreed. Yet despite a clear statement in FINA's magazine from the President of FINA, Dr Julio Maglione, that he holds coaches in high regards and would wish to hear their voice at the Bureau table, coaches have been omitted from proposals for changing the composition of the ruling end of FINA.

Leonard is also concerned that an open and democratic process has not formed part of moves to make changes to the FINA Constitution, due to be approved this year by the FINA executive of three and rubber-stamped by Congress in July 2011.

SwimNews understands that three continents worked together with members of FINA's legal commission to come up with proposals for change but that the collaborative effort was quashed by the FINA executive, leaving many leading figures disgruntled. 

An interesting week ahead then in Indianapolis as ASCA and WSCA (the World Swimming Coaches Association) discuss whether to abandon life under the FINA umbrella 102 years after the international federation was formed.

By kind permission and for the record:

The  End of FINA’s Democratic Process? 

by John Leonard 

It would be the height of irony, if, during the FINA Presidency of the one of the great defenders of democratic process and transparency in governance, FINA suddenly took a veering step to the right and placed the overwhelming majority of power in the hands of three people, two of whom can outvote our FINA President. 

Allow me to explain. FINA, under President Julio Maglione, has called a Special FINA Congress for the year 2011 to discuss changes to the Constitution of FINA, which most observers would agree, are much needed. Good idea. 

In all other FINA Congresses, a call goes out substantially in advance of the Congress, asking each member swimming federation (such as United States Aquatic Sports) for its input of ideas, etc. that should be considered at the Congress. This supremely democratic process ensures that no matter how “unusual” the idea, it gets its day in the sun and the Congress can vote on it. 

Typically the document handed out at the Congress includes a note that indicates if the Bureau supports or opposes the particular item.  A stupendous 95% of the ideas that come from outside the Bureau are opposed. Surprise, surprise. BUT they still get to see the light of day at the Congress. 

And democracy can indeed rule as happened last summer in Rome, when the USA put new swimsuit rules on the table, the Bureau opposed it, and both the FINA Executive Director AND the President spoke AGAINST the USA proposal and it still passed the congress and the era of the plastic bag suits was dead, at least for a period of time. Democracy ruled and a very bad idea (the plastic bag suits) was soundly defeated, 186-6. 

Now suddenly, the FINA three person executive has decided that only Members of the Bureau may propose changes to be considered at the upcoming Congress. No continental associations, and no federations. In point of fact, the document that has come out that shows the proposed changes, shows ONLY proposed changes that were recommended by the FINA Executive…not even those changes sought by Bureau Members, have been included for consideration. 

Which means, in point of fact, that three men are running the organization in the lead up to the next Constitutional Congress. And we know that at least the President, is in support of many ideas that DID NOT get advanced. So we have two men, the Executive Director of FINA and the Honorable Secretary, Mr. Paolo Barelli of Italy, running FINA in the leadup to arguably the most important Congress in the history of the Organization. 

No democracy, no proposals from members. Just proposals that are acceptable to two men. (0ut of three.) 

We have a President who ran for office on the promise of , and his personal history of support for, democracy and transparency in governance. And he’s being outvoted on his own executive committee to turn this process back into an entirely un-democratic organization. 

What amazing Irony. 

Will the Federations of the World stand still for it? Do they accept being merely witnesses at their own  de-masculinization? 

We live in interesting times.