USA Swimming turns to Delaware AD Chrissi Rawak as new CEO

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — USA Swimming named University of Delaware athletic director Chrissi Rawak as its new CEO and president on Wednesday.

Rawak fills a role previously held by Tim Hinchey, who left the governing body of one of the biggest Olympic sports shortly after last year’s Paris Games.

Rawak was named Athletic Director of the Year in 2024 by a national group of ADs. She spearheaded a $38 million fundraising campaign for the construction of a new athletic department facility.

Before Delaware, Rawak was an executive in the Michigan athletic department. She also was on the Michigan swimming and diving team and served as an assistant coach for the program from 1992-97.

Rawak will be in charge of revitalizing an Olympic program that many in the sport’s inner circles felt fell short of expectations in 2024. The U.S. won 28 swimming medals in Paris, matching its fewest since 2004, when there were 12% fewer overall medals awarded.

In addition to Hinchey’s departure, national program director Lindsay Mintenko also left the federation after the Paris Games.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

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FILE - Jacques Freitag of South Africa waves his national flag after he won the Men’s high jump event at the World Athletics Championships, at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Monday, Aug. 25, 2003. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)

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