Dual Olympic gold medalist Kieren Perkins OAM, former Commonwealth Games swimmer and leading business consultant Tim Ford and eight time Olympic Medalist Petria Thomas OAM, will join Australian Institute of Sport Director Matt Favier on the independent Swimming Review Panel chaired by the Hon Warwick Smith AM, it was announced today.

The members of the review panel possess the range of skills, knowledge and experience in sport and the corporate sector which are needed to provide a comprehensive, independent and credible evaluation of swimming.

The terms of reference, which have been jointly agreed by Swimming Australia Limited and the Australian Sports Commission, have also been announced for the review, which will examine all aspects of swimming’s high performance programs and the governance and administrative practices that underpin it.

The review will analyse swimming’s strategic planning, management of resources, risk management and the sport’s ability to respond to changes around the world in elite swimming.

It will examine the effectiveness of strategies, structures and policies to deal with talent identification and development programs, competition structures and coaching support.

The review will also consider current team culture, relevant competitor country analysis and the impact of social media on athlete preparations.

The panel will seek the views of a wide range of stakeholders including coaches, athletes, board members, commercial partners and government agencies.

Procedures will be put in place by the review panel to ensure that stakeholders’ views can be submitted confidentially to enable the panel members to receive frank and open input to help them in their deliberations.

The review will also benchmark the high performance programs and administration of Swimming Australia against other leading nations and sports from the London Games.

It will also consider any impediments to swimming’s ability to deliver the recommendations of the review, any differences between its objectives and those of its member states and its use of taxpayer funding.

The review will commence as soon as possible and be completed ahead of the Australian Sports Commission’s annual funding allocations as part of the sports performance review in the first quarter of 2013.