World Swimming Association?

Only a DOOFUS could criticize Steve Munatones for anything he has said or done related to open water swimming. Steve is one of the small collection of individuals who have given selflessly to forward the sport of open water swimming. Thank you Steve. I appreciate that you take the time to keep up with masters swimming. A lot of us love the open water and regularly read your most amazing open water news website. www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com/ LOVE your always fresh enthusiasm for your sport! P.S. WHY OPEN WATER SWIMMING ROCKS www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com/.../why-open-water-swimming-rocks.html

Only a DOOFUS could criticize Steve Munatones for anything he has said or done related to open water swimming. Steve is one of the small collection of individuals who have given selflessly to forward the sport of open water swimming. Thank you Steve. I appreciate that you take the time to keep up with masters swimming. A lot of us love the open water and regularly read your most amazing open water news website. www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com/ LOVE your always fresh enthusiasm for your sport! P.S. WHY OPEN WATER SWIMMING ROCKS www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com/.../why-open-water-swimming-rocks.htmlABSOLUTELY 100% AGREE. Well said, Ahelee.

Only a DOOFUS could criticize Steve Munatones for anything he has said or done related to open water swimming. Steve is one of the small collection of individuals who have given selflessly to forward the sport of open water swimming. Check your glasses. He wasn't commenting on Steve's contributions to open water swimming. He said he found it interesting that someone on the FINA techincal committee would be so openly grateful to FINA.

Check woofus comment on this thread again. You've turned someone's comment on his position within fina to a non-related rant about his contributions to open water. Ha ha - good try...

Actually, "the elite athletes are extraordinarily grateful." was the only use of the word but then I use drugstore readers. Steve just painted a picture of a beautiful grassroots sport which is thriving. Big time. And hopefully Masters Swimming continues to adapt the little glitches so we can be a part of a great membership feeder for our little organization -without corruption or interruptions at least for now. See the thread about growing masters swimming. I've seen the thread. Thanks for reading recommendation. No one made any comments about the work steve has done for the open water community. The comment was made linking him to his position on the fina techincal committee and how grateful he is to fina. Check woofus comment on this thread again. You've turned someone's comment on his position within fina to a non-related rant about his contributions to open water.

More discussion and perhaps a clearer picture: tv.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../6616 Thanks Swimming world and Garrett McCaffrey!

Then there is the larger issue of whether too much is happening behind closed FINA doors. There should be no reason you cannot tell us on this thread (not in private emails) what you really think about these controversies, and how they can be avoided in the future. As you say, you have put in countless volunteer hours for a sport you love. Certainly you love it enough to defend it from procedural irregularities that undermine the sport's credibility? Oh right... gotta love this calling out from someone who doesn't use their real name to post on a public forum. And imagine - a small select group conducting fishy happenings behind closed doors? Now that is unimaginable!

ASCA unanimously approved a resolution objecting to FINA's improv rulemaking around the zipper/open water screwup among other things. Here's a news link: www.swimnews.com/.../8052 Interesting how the FINA open water committee person commenting above expressed how extremely grateful he is to FINA. I have always been grateful to all governing bodies, race directors and local organizations that have sponsored and supported open water swimming. I have volunteered for decades in a variety of capacities, both domestically and internationally, and know that the support of FINA, race directors and local organizations is vital to the health and growth of our sport. In particular, I am very grateful for FINA's support of the 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit, the Open Water Swimming Grand Prix circuit, the 5K, 5K Team Pursuit, 10K and 25 races at the World Swimming Championships, and especially, the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim. Without the executives and volunteers pushing for open water swimming at these levels, I believe that our sport - at least at the elite end of the open water swimming spectrum - would be less global or lower profiled. If you are interested, I can explain to you off-line how a person (like me) is selected to become a volunteer of FINA and given the opportunity to spend hundreds of hours trying to help our sport become better. I can be emailed at headcoach@10Kswim.com and we can take it from there at your convenience. Before I was selected to be a member of FINA's Technical Open Water Swimming Committee, I had no idea of the structure within FINA or procedures that are used, so I am happy to share the information that I now know with others who are interested. There is nothing to hide and, while others may not agree, there are a lot of volunteers out there working with FINA trying to help organize open water swims that are safe, competitive and memorable for all involved.

Check your glasses. He wasn't commenting on Steve's contributions to open water swimming. He said he found it interesting that someone on the FINA techincal committee would be so openly grateful to FINA. There are 14 members from 14 different countries on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee. Each of these individuals has his or her own opinions and visions on how open water swimming at the FINA level should operate. As with anything with 14 different individuals who have different native languages and come from different cultures, we do not agree on everything. But we do carefully discuss these issues and take votes on the issues. It is a democratic process that I think every American is brought up to believe in. In the same way that I support FINA's efforts and role in the sport, I support USMS and USA Swimming's efforts and role in the sport. Like many (most?) others who get involved in open water swimming, we did not lobby for these volunteer positions, but we were asked to play a role. We do not earn any money, although our economy-fare airline tickets and hotel rooms (which are the same that the athletes stay in) are paid for. Like the athletes, our meals are also paid for during the competitions. Does this mean that any individual's vote, opinions or positions on specific issues are the same as FINA or the other member of the committee? No. Individuals have their differences. Each of the technical committees (for water polo, synchronized swimming, diving, swimming and open water swimming) provides its recommendations to the FINA Bureau. These technical committees are comprised of volunteers who know the sport well and are passionate about its success and positive growth. These recommendations are then presented to the FINA Bureau by a FINA Liaison (an individual who also sits on each committee) for a vote. After a formal vote, the matter is then decided. The Americans who preceded me on this committee - Sid Cassidy and Dale Petranech - did wonderful things for the sport and all of their colleagues, from Penny Dean to Rick Walker and many others, have left huge shoes to fill. It is my hope that I am carrying on their tradition and I look forward to the next group of volunteers who will carry on the tradition.

Steve, I'm not the one suggesting your opinions are being bought and paid for by FINA or sponsors or whoever. And I think it's perfectly just that your plane fare, hotel bill and meals tab should get picked up for an entirely volunteer position. What I did question was why you would have such a warm-and-fuzzy for FINA after they made an absolute (and absolutely avoidable) mess of your open water championships this summer in Europe. These were no small snafus: arguably the greatest open water swimmer ever is at the center of the complaints, and nothing but a bunch of asterisks in the record books can begin to correct the damage FINA did. You've written two fairly lengthy posts in a row on this thread, but I don't see any direct reference to these controversies. Now I'm more curious than ever: what do you think of what happened? How should it have been handled? There are two separate issues: the zipper business, and new suits popping up on the approved list shortly before major events, to the surprise of (among others) the reigning open water swimmer of our era. Then there is the larger issue of whether too much is happening behind closed FINA doors. There should be no reason you cannot tell us on this thread (not in private emails) what you really think about these controversies, and how they can be avoided in the future. As you say, you have put in countless volunteer hours for a sport you love. Certainly you love it enough to defend it from procedural irregularities that undermine the sport's credibility?