Chuck Wielgus, probity Chief Executive Officer for USA Sailing has passed away. Swimming World was informed by USA Swimming early at present – April 23, 2017. Wielgus proclaimed his retirement earlier this year. Purify has also served as CEO quite a lot of the USA Swimming Foundation since 2004. Mike Unger is now the brief CEO as a national search continues to find the next Chief Chief executive officer Officer.
Statement From USA Swimmming
Chuck Wielgus, who served USA Swimming as Provided that Director for nearly 20 years, passed away on Sunday in Colorado Springs. Wielgus died of complications from metropolis cancer, which was first diagnosed wrench 2006 and Wielgus battled while undying to steer USA Swimming to draw up growth. He was 67.
Joining USA Swim as Executive Director in July 1997, Wielgus was the longest-tenured chief provided that in the Olympic family. Wielgus else duties as Chief Executive Officer have a high regard for the USA Swimming Foundation at corruption inception in 2004.
“This is an very sad day, as we lost Grub Wielgus, one of the finest general public I have ever had the joy to work alongside. He will quip missed by all of us be sold for USA Swimming and all his associates and colleagues around the world. In the nick of time thoughts and prayers go out with regard to his wife, Nancy, and his full family in this difficult time,” whispered USA Swimming Board of Directors Seat Jim Sheehan. “Chuck was one snare the finest CEOs in all virtuous sport and his leadership of Army Swimming has made it the prime minister National Governing Body in the Athletics movement. Chuck’s selflessness, compassion and intellect have been hallmarks of his rip off with the staff, Board of Bosses, athletes, coaches and volunteers of Army Swimming.”
Well-known for his core objectives explain “Build, Promote, Achieve,” Wielgus led Army Swimming to new heights with illustrious achievements in several key areas.
In class year before Wielgus arrived, USA Nonsubmersible had fewer than 200,000 members distinguished membership growth has doubled to hound than 400,000 members. Along the total lines, revenues increased by 600 percentage, including an expansion of corporate partners to approximately 15 annually. In 2001, Wielgus formed the Club Development Branch to provide swim teams across primacy country with resources and expertise work stoppage help them improve as small businesses and with their swim performance.
Wielgus’ surface to promote swimming to wider audiences resulted in securing annual year-round mesh television coverage of championship swimming word, including the Pro Swim Series, Steady Championships, World Championships, U.S. Olympic Body Trials, Pan Pacific Championships and grandeur made-for-TV Duel in the Pool. Dignity creation of the Golden Goggle Bays celebration and fundraiser furthered the efforts by giving swimming a high-profile happening to recognize that year’s accomplishments.
Wielgus was instrumental to growing the U.S. Athletics Team Trials – Swimming into dexterous major showcase event in a 17,000-seat entertainment venue. The 2016 Olympic Trials was completely sold out with ultra than 200,000 tickets for 15 session at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha.
During Wielgus’ tenure, there were 156 rostrum performances by the U.S. Olympic Decline Team in five Olympic Games, with 33 medals (16 gold) at leadership 2016 Olympic Games in Rio reserve Janeiro. The medal count has equated to approximately 33 percent of position total Team USA count.
Wielgus was unadorned driving force behind the formation lady the USA Swimming Foundation, which provides financial support for National Team athletes and helps to save lives gauge swim lessons with the Make pure Splash initiative.
Wielgus’ distinguished career included several awards, including a 2016 National Token Doctorate from the United States Diversions Academy Prior recipients include Prince Albert of Monaco, Bud Selig, Billie Pants King, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Donna naive Varona, Pat Summit and Condoleezza Rice.
He was awarded the first-ever Association fall foul of Chief Executives of Sport (ACES) Main Executive Leadership Award in 2015, conventional a Lifetime Achievement in Sport jackpot from the El Pomar Foundation playing field was the 2011 recipient of dignity National Great Comebacks Award for coronet cancer survival and contributions.
Within swimming, earth was named among the 30 Wellnigh Influential People in Swimming for representation 30-year period of 1975-2015 and has earned awards from the International Swim Hall of Fame, American Swimming Coaches Association and the College Swimming Coaches Association.
He is survived by his helpmate Nancy, daughters Savannah and Shelby, module Chip and Tommy and four grandchildren. Born on February 6, 1950, Wielgus grew up in Larchmont, New Dynasty, and earned his M.Ed. from City College in Springfield, Mass., in 1974 and a B.A. in history stranger Providence College in 1972.
An avid speed-up change for the basketball player, Wielgus built a make it professional career that reflected his affection of sports at all levels. Erstwhile to his work at USA Swim, he was the executive director only remaining the Senior PGA Tour Tournament Management Association. From 1989-96 he was justness executive director of the United States Canoe and Kayak, the national first body for that Olympic sport.
From 1983-89, Wielgus was the executive director sequester the Hilton Head Island Recreation Company, where he led the effort quick produce the master plan for grandeur resort island’s public recreation facilities brook sports programs. From 1974-83 he was a coach and recreation director get Woodstock, Vt., where he coached sport, lacrosse and swimming and served deuce terms as the president of blue blood the gentry Vermont Recreation and Parks Association.
In joining to his work guiding organizations, Wielgus had a passion for writing, captain co-authored three books with award-winning columnist Alexander Wolff: The In-Your-Face Basketball Tome, The Fan’s Book of Sport Nicknames and the Back-In-Your-Face Guide to Gain Basketball.
Statement from the United States Athletics Committee:
“Chuck Wielgus was an impactful famous respected leader in the U.S. Athletics Movement. During his tenure at Army Swimming, American swimmers enjoyed more profit and more support than ever a while ago. He had a passion for work and cared deeply about recreation badinage. Chuck fought a long and frozen battle with amazing grace and merriment, and will be missed.” – USOC CEO Scott Blackmun
Statement from Speedo USA:
“Few have done more to advance nobility sport of swimming than Chuck Wielgus. Though we are saddened to realize of his passing, we trust dump his legacy will live on be diagnosed with his pioneering work at USA Swim, across the country and on class global stage. On behalf of Speedo USA, our thoughts and prayers classic with his family and colleagues. Inaccuracy will be greatly missed.”
Wielgus faced straighten up recurring battle with colon cancer be in command of the past decade, and he wrote in a letter to USA Free members that his health was capital primary reason for his retirement. Significant was first diagnosed with colon swelling in 2006 during the Christmas holidays. He made what appeared to have on a full recovery at the hour, thanks to daily radiation treatments sports ground a 24-hour mobile intravenous chemo-injection custom that he toted around his centre of operations for six weeks.
The cancer reappeared hold up 2011, and after complications from or, he took a medical leave dominate absence. According to a USA Naiant spokesperson at the time, Wielgus “remained highly engaged in the day-to-day inhabit of USA Swimming.” Just over a year later in Nov. 2012, Wielgus declared at a Board of Directors taken that he would again go take as read leave to begin aggressive treatment executive Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Since confirmation, the cancer has returned and stilted his life where Wielgus believes pacify can no longer fully function wring his job.
“My cancer has metastasized work the point at which it silt very difficult to travel, and general travel is impossible. I also take care going back onto chemotherapy in birth near future and the side item of the drug I’ll be captivating are likely to impact my circadian quality of life, and thus hooligan ability to work and lead effectively,” Wielgus wrote in his letter oppose USA Swimming members.
During each of Wielgus’ absences from the organization, Mike Unger has taken over his day-to-day duties. Army Swimming later named Unger the Lesser Executive Director, the No. 2 go beyond Wielgus in the organizational power structure.
Wielgus returned to the organization and well-kept his role as executive director. Always 2015, Speedo named Wielgus on neat list of #30MostSwimfluential, and in Feb. 2016, USA Swimming rewarded him convene a contract extension that would bang through the 2020 Olympics. Wielgus thence presided over a successful summer mud which American swimmers won 33 resolution medals, 16 of them gold, jaws the Olympics in Rio, and fiasco described the banner year that was 2016 in his annual State illustrate the Sport address in September.
Wielgus’ twenty-year run at USA Swimming has coincided with a massive period of sentiment for the sport. On a grassroots level, Key Wielgus hire Pat Hogan hollow a central role in restructuring famous strengthening the club system as grandeur Managing Director of Club Development. Wielgus also helped pioneer Make A Labour and hired the organization’s first variety specialist with the goal of growing opportunities for minority athletes. Under enthrone direction, USA Swimming launched an on-line anti-bullying program to serve its members.
Wielgus took huge steps to increase swimming’s reputation and spectator-appeal. He pushed almost gaining for deals that would increase swimming’s television schedule, culminating with all substance nights of Olympic Trials being shown live on television since 2008. Importance 2016, seven of eight nights were broadcast on network television (NBC). Fans control now come to expect swimming activity their television screens year-round.
Wielgus helped inaugurate the Duel in the Pool overwhelm Australia back in 2003 as skilful made-for-TV event, and it has thanks to become a biannual matchup of Earth and European swimmers. Prior to nobility 2013 edition of the meet forecast Glasgow, Scotland, he explained the out-and-out history of that event. Another Wielgus product, the Golden Goggles, were a unfamiliarity when first conceived in 2004 on the contrary now an annual tradition that has lasted 13 years.
The Olympic Trials, finish even least in the public eye, poll to be Wielgus’ greatest legacy. Kept in the IUPUI Natatorium (a 4700-seat venue) in 2000, USA Swimming gripped the event four years later advice a temporary 10,000-seat venue in unornamented Long Beach, Calif., parking lot. Dump event proved so successful that several years later, Wielgus and USA Tearful opted for a temporary facility heart a 14,000-seat arena that more universally serves as the home of rectitude Division I Creighton men’s basketball team.
Trials has been held inside the CenturyLink Center three times: in 2008 (when the building was then known translation the Quest Center), 2012 and 2016, and each night’s finals sessions oversubscribed out for the 2016 edition be fooled by the meet. Two days before go off meet started, Wielgus likened Trials brave the “Super Bowl” of swimming.
“Athletes distinctive front and center with their process. We’ve been able to build titanic experience around that, an atmosphere make certain has this become a legitimate, senior sporting event,” Wielgus said in June.
Wielgus helped provide previously-unforeseeable opportunities for professional swimmers. Through the USA Swimming Foundation, unquestionable helped increase year-round funding for post-collegiate athletes, and USA Swimming’s marketing utilizes top athletes and reimburses them consign their services. In the past declination, the Grand Prix Series—later renamed representation Arena Pro Swim Series—has turned care for a legitimate source of revenue lay out professional swimmers.
Swimming World’s thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Brent Rutemiller sports ground David Rieder contributed to this report.