Alex Baumann

Alex Baumann is a Canadian former competitive swimmer and sports administrator, born on April 21, 1964 in Prague in what was then Czechoslovakia and raised in Sudbury, Ontario after his family emigrated in 1969. A specialist in the individual medley, he held the world record in the 200 metre event as a teenager and won both medley gold medals at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles he carried the Canadian flag at the opening ceremony and won gold in the 400 metre and 200 metre individual medleys, setting world records in each; the 400 metre title was Canada's first Olympic swimming gold since 1912. After retiring he worked as a coach and administrator in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and in 2021 briefly led Swimming Australia as chief executive.