Swimming Australia chief executive Kevin Neil has become the first casualty of Australia's sub-standard performance in the pool at the London Olympics, with his departure confirmed on Thursday.
Neil has decided to quit ahead of Warwick Smith's wide-ranging review of the sport which was brought about in the wake of a disastrous London campaign, which yielded just one gold medal.
Reports of team division and athlete misbehaviour were rife in the aftermath of the Games, compounding the poor performance, Australia's worst showing since 1976.
Neil's position was initially put under pressure after he oversaw the departure of Olympic head coach Alan Thompson early in his tenure, robbing Australia of one of their experienced coaches.
His departure was not a surprise, but his decision to leave ahead of the Smith Review findings being released is. He is expected to give evidence to the review.
"I have witnessed great changes and seen how swimming continues to be Australia’s premier Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport. I am proud to have played a role in this development and the enhancement of the sport’s revenue base," Neil said in a statement.
"Following the below expected results at the London Olympic Games, swimming is now undertaking various reviews to set the new course for the future and it is therefore appropriate to step aside to allow the sport to progress to its next exciting phase."