BRITISH SWIMMING ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2005 1 2 4 5 3 6 7 8 CONTENTS 2 Chairman’s Report 3 Chief Executive’s Report 4 Swimming 6 Swimming Records 8 Diving 9 Synchronised Swimming 10 Disability Swimming 11 Water Polo 12 Open Water 13 Masters 14 British Swimming Medical Advisory Committee 16 Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain Limited: Report and Financial Statements 18 High Performance Swimming Limited: Report and Financial Statements 20 Sponsors and Acknowledgements James Goddard’s anguish is plain to see after he just missed out on a medal in the Olympic 200m backstroke final 1 Jenna Randall won the solo and 4 Carly Grimshaw (left) and Chelsea Luker 7 Lancaster City receive the British figure titles at the 2004 British synchro competed in the Olympic qualifying duet water polo club championship trophy championships 5 Action from the inaugural British 8 Leon Taylor and Peter Waterfield 2 The British Paralympic swim team who women’s water polo final between celebrate winning Olympic diving achieved the challenging target of Sheffield and Liverpool silver medals exceeding their impressive haul of gold medals from Sydney four years earlier 6 Steve Parry on the way to his Olympic bronze medal 3 Jim Anderson was delighted with his four gold medals in the S2 category at the Paralympic Games 1 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT MAINTAINING THE MOMENTUM receives the UK Sport payments from the Following a post Olympic performance National Lottery, finished the year, and review of the last four years, UK Sport the Olympic cycle, in balance. confirmed its confidence in British Swimming by announcing significantly The two bronze medals and one silver increased investment of both Exchequer medal achieved in Athens by the swimming and Lottery funding for swimming, diving and diving teams were an impressive and disability swimming. I would like to improvement on the results in Sydney in place on record the Board’s thanks to UK 2000, and I would like to congratulate all the Sport, and we look forward to working athletes, coaches and staff who contributed with them to deliver success in Beijing. to this success. The return to the medal standard, including our first for synchronised During the past year British Swimming diving, and the marked increase in final has played an active role in the campaign positions confirmed that all our athletes to bring the 2012 Olympic Games to London. had raised their standards significantly in The bidding process has heightened the the intervening period. The results were government’s and the public’s interest in Chairman Chris Baillieu solid and in line with Board expectations sport, and swimming has already benefited but some observers had predicted more from the commitment to invest in a new This is the first full annual report medals based on the rapid improvements aquatic complex in Stratford in the proposed to follow the move by British Swimming demonstrated by our swimmers at the 2003 Olympic park. The winning Olympic design, to a new accounting year that began on World Championships. While this may not to which British Swimming contributed, April 1st 2004 and ended on March 31st have been realistic, it is fair to observe that includes two 50 metre pools, and a diving 2005. The period covers the Olympic and the rapid progress made during the first pit. This will be the catalyst for the Paralympic Games, the appointment of the three years of the Olympic cycle was not transformation of competitive swimming members of the Board and the National maintained in the Olympic year. Lessons in the capital. Indeed, the London Olympics will assure the future of competitive sport Performance Directors for 2005-2008, and have been learned for the preparation for for the foreseeable future, and ensure the outcome of UK Sport’s ‘One Stop the Beijing Games. Nobody should be under a lasting legacy by transforming our Planning’ review that determined the any illusions that the standards there, and sporting landscape. Exchequer and National Lottery funding particularly the quality of the Chinese team for British Swimming through till the which is aiming to dominate the medal table Finally, I am delighted that British 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. in all sports, will create very significant challenges for our competitors and coaches. Swimming will be facing the challenges of the next four years under the leadership It has also been an important year for of the Chief Executive David Sparkes. David another Olympic reason: the campaign I would also like to pay tribute to the has successfully led all the recent changes in to bring the Games to London in 2012. Paralympic team which, despite rapidly British Swimming, and he is one of Britain’s This is the ultimate prize for British sport, rising standards world wide, retained its most distinguished sport administrators. The and it offers particular opportunities for overall ranking of second in the medal table. Board is confident that he and his excellent British Swimming to promote swimming in team will ensure British Swimming maintains the capital, build new facilities there and The Board was very pleased to be able to its current momentum and delivers more attract major swimming and diving events, confirm the reappointment of the National success over the next four years culminating the staging of which is not currently feasible Performance Directors for Swimming, Diving in the Beijing Olympics. because of the lack of suitable facilities. and Disability for the next Olympic cycle, and noted that investment in the Open Water, The Board was pleased with the financial Water Polo and Synchronised Swimming outcome of the year that was in line with programmes was also beginning to bear fruit. the agreed policy of achieving a balanced budget over the four year Olympic cycle. At the AGM held in November 2004, Although there was an overall deficit on the Board was re-elected with the addition British Swimming’s budget, it was forecast of Anne Clark as an English representative, and smaller than had been budgeted. The replacing Jeff Cook, who died sadly and Board had planned the quadrennial so that unexpectedly earlier in the year. Alan a surplus was built up in the middle years Clarkson and Guy Davis remain as of the Olympic cycle, enabling the release independent members of the Board. The of additional funding in the build up to Swimming Competitors Association is in the Olympics when additional support was the process of completing the selection of required. The Balance Sheet shows that a recently retired athlete to the Board, and British Swimming began 2005 with a modest the Board welcomes this appointment. The surplus which will provide a strong basis Board has also taken time to re-establish and for planning the next Olympic cycle. strengthen the Technical Committees for the next four years as it is they, together with High Performance Swimming Ltd (HPS), the programme leaders, who will drive our the wholly owned subsidiary company that performance strategy. 2 CHIEF EXECUTIVE DISAPPOINTMENT AND DELIGHT Chief Executive David Sparkes This report not only reflects on substantial step forward when we secured the Open Water swimming where we saw our progress but also closes the quadrennial 2008 World Short Course Swimming first European and world medal success. following the Athens Olympic Games and Championships for Manchester. Great However, complacency is not a word to Paralympic Games. Both Games brought Britain also hosted, in London in 2004, the attach to this Board or support staff. We delight and disappointment. Results could biggest LEN Congress ever, during which remain committed to ensuring that Great have been better yet we did have significant we were able to strengthen our European Britain establishes itself as a significant success with Britain’s first medal in diving, relationships and consolidate our presence world swimming nation. The decision to silver, since 1960 and two bronze medals in on the LEN Bureau and Technical award the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012 the swimming pool. And we finished second Committees through to 2008. to London will bring significant challenges. in the medal table in the Paralympics due to some very strong performances. Co-operation between the home countries We also look forward to Montreal and the has also improved, largely through change 2005 FINA World Championships. With some But we had all hoped for more and the bite of personnel with Ashley Howard appointed of our regular performers having retired, of reality did hurt. However, it reminded as the Chief Executive for Scotland and how will the new athletes perform? Will our us that to have achieved more at this stage Bob James taking up the first ever similar divers do well again, will the swimmers who was perhaps unrealistic. We were in fact appointment in Wales. There is no doubt have stepped up from the youth programme on target based on our planning figures that due to British modernisation funding, make their mark and will our success in open and witnessed, in all events, British athletes we have entered a new era. British water carry on? challenging more for medals. Thorough Swimming and the three home countries The work continues. analysis of these performances and our have: worked on the Modernisation Project accrued knowledge has led us to recast our to develop a robust membership database Performance Plans for success in Beijing in which can now be developed further; begun 2008. Yet we must remain realistic - medals work on the UK Coaching Certificate with will still be hard earned and our target is a root and branch review of our training for a modest increase in success rather and education programme; completed than a massive breakthrough.