CANBERRA, Sept. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Former swimmer Neil Martin has been named the new president of the Swimming Australia, the official website reported Saturday.

    A member of Australia's triumphant 1972 Munich Olympic swimmingteam, Martin takes over from the retiring president, legendary Olympic gold medallist, John Devitt AM, whose second two-year termfinished this year in Athens.

    The new president was voted in at the 95th Annual General Meeting of Australian Swimming in Melbourne, which voted unanimously to change the name of the sport's governing body to Swimming Australia. With it comes a new logo and a new five-year strategic plan to take the sport through until 2009.

    Martin admitted that the presidency of Swimming Australia was "as exciting as becoming an Olympian."

    "I am looking forward to following in the footsteps and the example shown by John Devitt and the challenges that lie ahead in maintaining swimming as Australia's number one Olympic sport," Martin said.

    "I am also very much committed to seeing Australia continue itschallenge to become the world's number one swimming nation."

    Martin will make his first public appearance during next week'sTelstra Australian Short Course Championships in Brisbane. Enditem