FINA became the first Sport International Federation to incorporate the new version of the WADA World Anti-Doping Code into its own rules, after a unanimous vote of the delegates present at the FINA Extraordinary Congress, held in Manchester (GBR) on April 8, 2008. The FINA Doping Control Rules will be enforced from January 1, 2009.
At the same time, the delegates coming from FINA National Member Federations also approved a new set of FINA Medical & Ethic Rules concerning the security and the protection of the athletes’ health.
Rules to improve and clarify the change of sports nationality requirements were also approved.
Finally, the FINA Extraordinary Congress also approved:
- the adoption of a starting platform in swimming that may have an adjustable setting back plate (to be implemented only after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing);
- the definition of 10km open water events as ‘Marathon Swimming’;
- the new regulations related to cases of emergency abandonment of open water swimming races.
“FINA celebrates 100 years next July 19 and if the memory of our great past is essential, the construction of a brighter future remains our priority. Throughout FINA history, the National Member Federations were certainly the main partners in our search for Greatness. Once more, you had the opportunity to stay associated with crucial changes in our rules and to the growth and improvement of our activities”, considered the FINA President Mustapha Larfaoui during this Extraordinary Congress.