John West

From Openwaterpedia
John Graeme West is an inductee (Honor Administrator) of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 2026
John Graeme West (in light blue polo shirt on left) of New Zealand Swimming serves as the head referee at numerous FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup and FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix events
Members of the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee with FINA Executives

John Graeme West of New Zealand is an open water swimmer, referee, and an open water swimming administrator and a broadcast consultant and producer for major sports events.

Open Water Swimming Highlights

  • He served as the Swimming New Zealand Technical Committee responsible for both Swimming and Open Water Swimming in 1998 and chaired the Committee for the four years 1999-2003, retiring when elected President of Swimming New Zealand.
  • He was inducted as an Honor Administrator in the Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in the Class of 2026.
  • He was a Swimming New Zealand selector 2010-2016 and in 2017 was honored with Life Membership of Swimming New Zealand for his service to the sport.
  • He has officiated at the 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
  • He has officiated at the 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 World Championships.
  • He has officiated at 7 Continental Championships, plus World Cup and regional competitions such as the Pacific Games.
  • He coordinate the FINA/AQUA Open Water Officials Schools and Clinics since 2009.
  • He is responsible for FINA/AQUA Open Water officials’ certification program and the development of Rules and rule proposals for TOWSC for more than 12 years.
  • He served the lead official’s management role for the 2022 Budapest World Championships, 2023 Fukuoka World Championships, and 2024 Doha World Championships.
  • He was responsible for the technical event management of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
  • He has conducted officials training seminars on behalf of FINA/AQUA in Swimming and/or Open Water Swimming in Australia, Guam, Northern Marianas, Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga, Saipan, FSM, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa.
  • He has served as the lead open water swimming official, responsible for the Continental Championships and Pacific Games.
  • He has lead FINA/AQUA Open Water Schools in Brazil, Canada, China, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Morocco, Namibia, Oman, Qatar, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia, and UAE, and online sessions with Australia, North Macedonia, Egypt, Cyprus, and the Cayman Islands.
  • In 2022, he was appointed Honorary Secretary of FINA/AQUA’s Open Water Swimming Committee.
  • In 2024, he was elected General Secretary of Oceania Aquatics for a 4-year term.
  • He is a member of the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (TOWSC) for the 2009-2013, 2013-2017, 2017-2021, 2021-2025, and 2025-2029 terms.
  • He often serves as the Head Referee in several international competitions.
  • He served as the Head Referee for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games women's 10 km marathon swim.
  • He served as the Assistant to the Head Referee in the men's Olympic 10K Marathon Swim and a Referee in the women's event held Tokyo Bay at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games on 4-5 August 2021.
  • He is a television executive who serves many roles within the New Zealand Swimming Federation where he served as its president and FINA.
  • He serves as a member of the World Aquatics Bureau.

2025-2029 World Aquatics Bureau Members

Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Responsibilities

  • At the 2012 London Olympics, he served as a Finish Judge in the men's 10 km marathon swim and as an Assistant to the Chief Referee in the women's 10 km marathon swim.
  • At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he served as the Clerk of Course for the men's 10 km marathon swim and as the Chief Referee in the women's 10 km marathon swim.
  • At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he served as the Assistant to the Chief Referee and Event Manager/Acting Commission in the men's 10 km marathon swim and as Referee 1 and Event Manager/Acting Commission for the women's 10 km marathon swim.
  • At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he served as the Event Manager & Commission for both the men's and women's 10 km marathon swim.

2021-2025 FINA TOWSC Members

2017-2021 FINA TOWSC Members

2013-2017 FINA TOWSC Members

Chairman: Ronnie Wong of Hong Kong
Vice Chairman: Jorge Delgado Panchana of Ecuador
Honorary Secretary: Andrea Prayer of Italy
Representatives of the African region:
Joaquim Pestana Costa of Angola
David Ngugi of Kenya
Abdulmonem Alalawi of Egypt
Representatives of the Americas region:
Fernando Terrilli of Argentina
Tomas Haces German of Cuba
Sid Cassidy of USA
Representatives of the Asian region:
Abdulmonem Al Alawi of Oman
Mubarak Abdulla Al Zahmi of United Arab Emirates
Representatives of the European region:
Jean Paul Narce of France
Samuel Greetham of Great Britain
Noam Zwi of Israel
Representatives of the Oceania region:
William Ford of Australia
John West of New Zealand
Events Sub-Committee:
Christiane Fanzeres of Brazil
Ayman Saad of Egypt
Jon Hestoy of Faroe Islands
FINA Bureau Liaison is Dennis Miller of Fiji

2009-2013 FINA TOWSC Members

1. Ronnie Wong Man Chiu, Chairman
2. Jorge Aurelio Delgado Panchana, Vice Chairman
3. Flavio Bomio, Honorary Secretary
4. Sid Cassidy, Member [replacing Steven Munatones of USA]
5. Khwaja Aziz, Member
6. Valerijus Belovas, Member
7. Tomas Haces German, Member
8. Samuel Greetham, Member
9. Zouheir El Moufti, Member
10. Andrea Prayer, Member
11. John West, Member
12. Noam Zwi, Member
13. Washington Beltran, Events Sub-Committee
14. Hatem Seifallah Mohamed Ibrahim, Events Sub-Committee
15. Shelley Taylor-Smith, Events Sub-Committee
16. Dennis Miller, FINA Bureau Liaison

External links

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