USA Swimming’s Pick for CEO Pulled Out After SafeSport Report Was Filed

Chrissi Rawak, who was named the new chief executive officer of USA Swimming, withdrew nine days later once the national governing body learned she was the subject of a complaint at the U.S. Center for SafeSport, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

USA Swimming on February 19 announced the appointment of Rawak as its new president and chief executive officer to succeed Tim Hinchey, who led the organization for seven years and two Olympic Games. On February 28, it said in a statement released at night that she would not take the job because of “unforeseen personal circumstances that we learned about late this week.”

USA Swimming confirmed it had learned that a complaint against Rawak had been filed with the SafeSport Center, which investigates abuse cases in Olympic sports, after her hiring had been announced. The organization said the matter is under the center’s jurisdiction.

“These matters, which we are only now coming to understand, were previously unknown and were not disclosed to USA Swimming during the rigorous vetting process of Ms. Rawak,” USA Swimming said in a statement.

Rawak was a member of the swim team at Michigan from 1988-92, then served as an assistant coach for five years.

Rawak has served as athletic director for the University of Delaware for more than eight years. Rawak was awarded the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics’ athletic director of the year in 2024. Prior to that, she spent more than a decade at the University of Michigan, where she served as executive senior associate athletic director.

USA Swimming Chief Operating Officer Shana Ferguson has been serving as as chief executive officer on an interim basis and will remain in that spot. The Olympic program won 28 swimming medals in Paris, matching its fewest since 2004, when there were 12% fewer overall medals awarded.