The German Federation (DSV) is taking its dispute with world swim body FINA over its banned head coach Winfried Leopold to court. FINA announced on Sunday it had withdrawn Leopold's accreditation for the world championships in response to Leopold's admissions upon arrival in Perth last week that he had administered drugs to swimmers in the former East Germany. The German federation appealed against FINA's decision, but an expected hearing yesterday did not take place.
DSV president Rudiger Tretow said his federation had retained the services of a German-speaking local lawyer, Dirk Feinauer, to have the matter heard in the Australian Supreme Court today.
Tretow said that initially the DSV did not plan to lodge an appeal against FINA's decision, but had been moved by a demonstration of support from all of its swimmers to appeal.
"The German federation and Mr Leopold have commenced Supreme Court proceedings in respect of FINA'a withdrawal of Mr Leopold's accreditation," Feinauer said, reading from a prepared statement at a press conference.
"The case on the part of the German Swimming Federation and Mr Leopold is that the decision taken by FINA executive and the FINA bureau is outside the powers conferred on FINA by its constitution and rules."
FINA secretary Gunnar Werner, was reported by a local news agency as saying that Leopold had been penalised for embarrassing FINA with his apology upon his arrival for the world championship rather than for his past involvement in the East German doping regime.
"If he had kept his mouth (shut) here, there would be no reason to react," Werner was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Alexei Akatiev brought Russia the first gold medal of the championships when he won the men's five kilometres long-distance race yesterday. Akatiev, European champion in 1995 and 1997, caught 16-yearold Australian Ky Hurst in the closing stages of the race in the sea off the coast outside Perth.
In the women's race, American Erica Rose claimed a convincing victory in a time of 59 minutes 23.5 seconds.
World Championships (Perth) Men's 5-kilometre open water swim: 1 A Akatiev (Rus) 55mins 18.6secs, 2 K Hurst (Aus) 55:18.6. 3 L Baldini (Ita) 55:37.4. Women's 5km open water: 1 E Rose (Usa) 59:23.5, 2 E van Dijk (Ned) 1:00:58.8, 3 P Buchse (Ger) 1:01.05.8, 17 P Wood (Gbr) 1:03:56.0.
Teams event 5km open water (men and women): 1 US 18pts, 2 Russia 16, 3 Italy 14.
Rose Blooms . .. Erica Rose of the US swims to the five-kilometre open water title. - (Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuter).
Coach Winfried Leopold.
