LEN Members land 51 spots in FINA committees

 

Europe has never enjoyed such appreciation in the FINA Family than nowadays: 51 nominees from the LEN Member Federations have been selected by the FINA Bureau to serve as technical committee members in the coming years. There is at least one European representative in all seven commissions respectively, and European chairperson was appointed in swimming and water polo.

“I don’t think Europe has ever had a bigger influence in the aquatics world” LEN President Antonio Silva – himself the freshly appointed FINA Bureau Liaison of the Masters Committee – said after FINA released the list of the members of the newly appointed technical committees.

LEN Member Federations got 51 spots in the seven technical committees, including key positions in the commissions: GB’s Craig Hunter shall chair the swimming committee (just like in LEN), while Tamas Molnar, one of the three-time Olympic champion legends from Hungary, will lead the water polo committee. Another former great, Ferry Weertman – Olympic, world and European champion – is the new Vice-Chair of the open water committee. Europe gives the respective Honorary Secretaries in diving, high diving, artistic swimming and water polo.

And there are others whose names are quite familiar for the wider aquatic audience as they all were outstanding athletes in the past – like Greece’s Olympic silver medallist Stavroula Kozompoli who is the secretary of the TWPC, while Croatia’s Olympic champion Milivoj Bebic serves on as member of the discipline’s governing body. Europe regained the Bureau Liaison’s position in water polo, Greece’s Kyriakos Giannopoulos will oversee the committee’s activites.

German world champion Britta Kamrau carries on her duties in the open water committee, while Olympic and world silver medallist and 19-time s/c European champion Martina Moravcova of Slovakia will work in the swimming committee, together with Bulgaria’s world champion Petar Stoychev. Among the artistic swimming committee members, we have former European and world medallist Ana Montero of Spain.

Earlier during the World Championships, FINA has announced the composition of the new Athletes Committee where former and current stars of European Aquatics will play vital roles as well. British diver Jack Laugher, three-time medallist here in Budapest, is the Vice-Chair, while the members are as follows – swimming: Theresa Alshammar (SWE), Shane Ryan (IRL); open water: Ferry Weertman (NED); diving: Maria Polyakova (RUS); high diving: Anna Bader (GER), Alain Kohl (LUX); water polo: Margarita Plevritou (GRE), Felipe Perrone (ESP).

 

European Members in the FINA Technical Committees

FINA Technical Swimming Committee

Chair: Craig Hunter (GBR). Members: Christian Iversen (DEN), Petar Stoychev (BUL), Peter Szajer (HUN). Events sub-committee: Eray Acikgoz (TUR), Martina Moravcova (SVK), Gianni Nagni (ITA), Alfonso Wucherpfennig (ESP)

 

FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee

Vice-Chair: Ferry Weertman (NED). Members: Petros Arestis (CYP), Baret Avedikoglu (TUR), Szabolcs Fodor (HUN), Luis Liberato (POR), Britta Kamrau (GER). Evens sub-committee: Tanya Bogomilova (BUL), Andrea Prayer (ITA)

 

FINA Technical Diving Committee

Honorary Secretary: Melanie Beck (GBR). Members: Sandra Donoval (CRO), Ildiko Kelemen (HUN), Mathz Lindberg (SWE), Hana Nowotna (CZE). Events sub-committee: Krynicki Bartlomej (POL), Rimantas Puronas (LTU), Anna Sorokina (UKR)

 

FINA Technical High Diving Committee

Honorary Secretary: Michael Geissbuhler (SUI). Members: Anke Piper (GER), Sercan Sen (TUR), Wessel Zimmerman (NED), Julian Llinas (ESP)

 

FINA Technical Water Polo Committee

Chair: Tamas Molnar (HUN). Honorary Secretary: Stavroula Kozompoli (GER). Members: Milivoj Bebic (CRO), Mihajlo Ciric (SRB), Angel Moliner (ESP), Andy Hoepelman (NED). Events sub-committee: Marijo Brguljan (MNE), Massimiliano Caputi (ITA). Bureau Liaison: Kyriakos Giannopoulos (GRE)

 

FINA Technical Artistic Swimming Committee

Honorary Secretary: Ana Montero (ESP). Members: Laura del Renzis (ITA), Ragiona La Gut (SUI), Despoine Karampela (GRE), Noam Zwi (ISR). Events sub-committee: Andida Bouma (NED), Ulla Lucenius (FIN), Judit Vizi (HUN)

 

FINA Technical Masters Committee

Vice-Chair: Ioannis Montesantos (GRE). Members: Boris Drobac (SRB), Umut Gozen (TUR), Hordur Oddfridarson (ISL), Ulrike Urbaniak (GER), Gyorgy Kenez (HUN). Bureau Liaison: Antonio Silva (POR)