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Swimming

SWIMMING

Swimming Abuse Lawyers for Australian Swimmers

SWIMMING

Swimming Abuse Lawyers for Australian Swimmers

Swimming is a central part of Australian sport. Behind podium moments there have been serious concerns about the way some swimmers have been treated in programs that were meant to support them.

An independent panel review into Swimming Australia found that women and girls had been exposed to misogynistic culture, body shaming, inappropriate comments and abusive behaviour over many years. Swimming Australia has since apologised and committed to changes that include banning skinfold tests by national programs.

Donaldson Law acts for current and former swimmers who have experienced:

  • psychological abuse or bullying in club or national programs
  • body shaming, degrading weigh ins or constant comments about appearance
  • sexual harassment or abuse by coaches, staff or other officials
  • unsafe training practices or being pressured to train or compete while injured
  • failures by clubs or governing bodies to respond properly to complaints

You do not need to have a particular performance level or result for your experience to be taken seriously. Whether you swam at club, state, national or international level we can talk with you about your rights and options.

Professional legal assistance for businesses and individuals in Australia, providing trusted legal services, legal consultation, and tailored legal solutions.

Swimming Abuse and Your Legal Rights

Swimming abuse matters arise under child abuse law, negligence principles and modern integrity frameworks. Swimming Australia as the national governing body operates within a broader system that includes the National Integrity Framework and Sport Integrity Australia processes for safeguarding and integrity threats.

Depending on your circumstances possible pathways may include:

  • a civil claim for damages where abuse or harmful culture has led to long term injury or psychological harm
  • complaints under integrity policies, which can be managed by Sport Integrity Australia for member protection, safeguarding and discrimination issues
  • internal complaints or restorative processes with Swimming Australia, state associations or clubs
  • engagement with follow-up work from the independent review into swimming culture

Our task is to explain these options without pressure so you can choose the pathway that reflects your priorities.

Common Swimming Abuse Patterns We See

Every swimmer’s story is unique. Independent reviews and accounts in the media have, however, brought common themes to the surface.

Body Shaming and Weight Focus
The swimming review highlighted repeated body shaming, insensitive comments and harmful attitudes toward women and girls’ bodies. Athletes have described constant scrutiny of appearance and weight which has contributed to eating disorders and ongoing self-esteem issues.
Emotional And Psychological Abuse
Some swimmers report training environments built on fear of criticism, where shouting, threats and humiliation were common. Over time this kind of culture can cause anxiety, depression and long term trauma responses.
Sexual Harassment And Abuse
There are cases where swimmers have experienced sexual harassment or abuse from coaches, staff or others connected with programs. Those matters may involve police, integrity bodies and civil claims. We help you understand how these systems fit together so you do not have to navigate them alone.
Unsafe Training Practices
High training loads, pressure to swim through injury and lack of rest can be part of a harmful culture. These practices can cause physical injury and create long term distress.

Swimming Bodies and Programs We Often Deal With

We act for swimmers whose experiences involve:

  • local swim clubs
  • state swimming associations
  • Swimming Australia national squads and development programs
  • state institutes or academies of sport
  • the Australian Institute of Sport swim program

The independent review and subsequent reporting have shown that problems can occur at club level and at the very top of the system. We help you identify who may be responsible in your case and which processes apply.

How We Work With Swimmers

When you contact us we do not expect you to use legal language. You can simply describe what happened and how it has affected you. From there we:

  1. Listen to your story and any concerns you have about raising it
  2. Identify the clubs, programs and organisations involved
  3. Check which legal and integrity pathways apply
  4. Give you clear advice about those options
  5. Work with you to choose a pathway that reflects your safety and what you want from the process

That might include a civil claim, participation in integrity processes or restorative conversations, or a combination over time. You remain in control of whether and how you proceed.

Discuss Your Options

Contact Our Team
(07) 4580 0900

◈ Other Sports We Commonly Act In ◈ 

You do not need to see your exact sport listed to contact us. These examples show the types of high performance environments we regularly advise on. We have dedicated sub-pages for key sports where we most often act:

Gymnastic Abuse Claims
Weightlifting Abuse and Overtraining Claims
Volleyball Abuse and Culture Claims
Other Sports (such as: diving, figure skating or endurance sports)

From this Elite Athletes hub you can click through to learn more about how the law may apply in your sport and which bodies or schemes may be relevant.

THE DL DIFFERENCE

Why Swimmers Choose Donaldson Law

Swimming abuse work needs a firm that understands survivor experience and the particular pressures of a sport that often starts at a very young age.

Swimmers choose Donaldson Law because:

Our Elite Athletes team acts for athletes from multiple high performance sports including swimming. We understand squad structures, selection dynamics and how central sport can be to identity.
We track independent reviews into swimming and other sports and we understand how those findings can support individual claims or restorative processes.
We minimise unnecessary retelling, plan meetings around your needs and recognise that stepping back into swimming memories can be confronting.
You have a lead lawyer and a small team who know your matter and can support you from first contact through to resolution.
We provide written costs information before you engage us and keep you updated on costs as the matter progresses.
GOT A QUESTION?

Swimming Abuse FAQs

If you are a current or former swimmer and you feel ready to talk about what happened you can contact us by phone, email or through our online form.

Speak With Us
Abuse Law FAQs (1)
Do I need to have been on the national team to get advice?
No. We act for swimmers at many levels including club, state and national squads. What matters is what you experienced and how it has affected you, not how many medals you won.
What did the Swimming Australia abuse review find?
The independent review into Swimming Australia found evidence of misogynistic culture, body shaming, abusive comments and other harmful behaviour toward women and girls. Swimming Australia has apologised and committed to changes, including banning skinfold tests in elite programs.
Is there a time limit for swimming abuse claims?
Time limits depend on your age when the abuse or mistreatment occurred and the type of claim. Some child abuse claims now have no limitation period while other claims still have strict deadlines. We will identify which rules apply to your situation and explain them clearly.