USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey leaves after 7 years

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey is leaving after seven years to pursue other opportunities, it was announced Thursday.

During his tenure, Hinchey helped establish new programs to counter sex abuse in the sport but also lost support among grassroots coaches.

A big part of Hinchey's mandate when he took over in 2017 was to pull the organization out of a crisis that came from its handling of sex-abuse cases involving dozens of coaches and swimmers.

"During Tim's tenure, USA Swimming's Safe Sport program has become preeminent among youth sports and has fortified the organization's commitment to keeping athletes first," USA Swimming's board of directors said in a statement.

The announcement comes in the wake of years of mostly declining membership numbers, which was a growing concern among grassroots coaches, who recently wrote letters expressing their concern with USA Swimming's leadership.

Hinchey got credit for helping execute the idea of holding Olympic trials in a big stadium in Indianapolis -- an innovation that laid the groundwork for a similar format at the Los Angeles Games in 2028, where swimming will take place in SoFi Stadium.

USA Swimming COO Shana Ferguson will take over Hinchey's CEO spot on an interim basis while the board conducts a search for a permanent replacement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.