SYDNEY, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Olympic gold medalist Alex Baumann will be Swimming Australia's new chief executive.
Baumann, 56, who won two gold medals for Canada in the 1984 Los Angeles Games, will begin his new job in May, moving up from his current position as Swimming Australia's chief strategist.
Swimming Australia president Kieren Perkins, a 1,500-meter gold medalist at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, said Baumann's strong record in leadership roles at other organizations, including Sport New Zealand, played a major role in his appointment.
"He is highly regarded, not just within Swimming Australia, but with all our member organizations and impressed us with his vision for our sport," Perkins said.
Speaking about his new role, Baumann said: "We are Australia's most successful Olympic sport, but I want to see us become a leading sport within the fabric of the country."
The job announcement was made during the Australian national swim titles at the Gold Coast in Queensland on Thursday.