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Melbourne, Australia March 17- April 1, 2007 - Hanson Media Group

Melbourne, Australia March 17- April 1, 2007 - Hanson Media Group

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<strong>Australia</strong>n Aquatics <strong>Media</strong> Guide - XII FINA World Swimming Championships – <strong>Melbourne</strong> <strong>March</strong> <strong>17</strong> – <strong>April</strong> 1, <strong>2007</strong> © HSM<br />

WELCOME FROM AUSTRALIA’S AQUATICS CHEF DE MISSION NEIL MARTIN<br />

WORLD’S BEST ARRIVE IN MELBOURNE TO CELEBRATE SWIMMING’S<br />

GOLDEN ERA<br />

I would like to firstly take this opportunity on behalf of Swimming <strong>Australia</strong> to welcome<br />

you all to <strong>Melbourne</strong> for this the 12 th FINA World Swimming Championships.<br />

We are honored by Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) president, Mustapha Larfaoui and by<br />

the presence of all FINA delegates and members and are thrilled at being given the opportunity to host<br />

the largest and most recognised aquatic event in the world.<br />

Since <strong>Melbourne</strong>’s announcement as host city in Barcelona in 2003, the thought of how amazing these<br />

<strong>2007</strong> FINA World Swimming Championships were going to be with a record number of participating<br />

nations flocking here to the sporting capital of <strong>Australia</strong> has been nothing short of inspirational and one<br />

that I am sure will see these World Championships be unrivalled in passion and dedication.<br />

From one of the most vibrant cities comes some of the most incredible sporting venues and Rod Laver<br />

Arena, home of the <strong>Australia</strong>n Open of Tennis will for the first time welcome to centre court a swimming<br />

pool filled with some of the fastest and finest athletes ever to grace our great sport.<br />

Never before has swimming been held in such a venue with 12,500 spectators so close to the action<br />

and an atmosphere that I am certain will lay the foundation for all future international swimming events<br />

and for that I would like to thank the Victorian State Government and Premier, Steve Bracks, along with<br />

the M<strong>2007</strong> organising committee and Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth affairs The Honorable,<br />

James Merlino for their ongoing commitment and support.<br />

Starting on the pool deck of Rod Laver which will host swimming and synchronised swimming, the<br />

Championship venues will include the <strong>Melbourne</strong> Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) for Diving and<br />

Water Polo and the famous seaside suburb of St Kilda Beach that will play host to the open water<br />

events and attract crowds that will gather en mass at the shoreline to watch the latest Olympic sport<br />

captivate with not only its endurance but tactical and physical encounters.<br />

This is the third time the FINA World Championships have come to <strong>Australia</strong> after Perth hosted the<br />

aquatic celebration so successfully in both 1991 and 1998 – championships that launched the careers<br />

of so many great champions.<br />

International swimming is without doubt living in a golden age in the pool with the facts undeniably<br />

astounding that 14 out of <strong>17</strong> of the men’s world record holders will be here in <strong>Melbourne</strong> – with the only<br />

absentees from the list being that of recently retired Ian Thorpe (200, 400 freestyle) and Russian sprint<br />

Czar, Alexander Popov (50m freestyle).<br />

In the individual women’s events 14 out of the <strong>17</strong> world records have been broken within the last 10<br />

years with the three exceptions being Hungarian, Krisztina Egerszegi (200m backstroke) and American<br />

distance legend, Janet Evans (800 and 1500 freestyle).<br />

The privilege of living in such an era of the sport is something special and one that I feel is a testament<br />

to the endless time and effort put in by not only the athletes but coaches, support staff, families and the<br />

media who have all traveled the long and arduous but incredibly rewarding road to <strong>Melbourne</strong> to reach<br />

the pinnacle of the aquatic sporting world.<br />

Congratulations and good luck to all.<br />

Neil Martin<br />

<strong>Australia</strong>n Team<br />

Chef de Mission<br />

XI FINA World Championships

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