The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) has launched its 2009-13 strategy, detailing its priorities and targets over the next four years.

The strategy, in conjunction with the national governing body's funding agreement with Sport England, aims to capitalise on the government's Free Swimming initiative and the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Chief executive David Sparkes said: "Over the next few years we have an unprecedented opportunity to change everyone's perception of our sport, and encourage more people to swim more often and have more fun doing it. And to make our contribution to a successful Olympic and Paralympic Games with a lasting legacy for our sports."

Objectives include encouraging more people to swim more often via the ongoing Learn to Swim programme, with new targets set to ensure that all primary schools deliver school swimming over the next four years to help guarantee that 85 per cent of primary school children can swim unaided for at least 25 metres.

The Health and Lifelong Participation programme includes targets of increasing monthly participation of new adult swimmers by 600,000 by 2013 and of boosting participation by the over 16s via existing projects such as Swimfit, Masters swimming and participation challenge events.

Athlete development targets include increasing the number of England programme athletes ranked at World level by 10 per cent and achieving 716 swim21 accreditations over the next four years.

Swimming facilities will also see massive improvements with aims of providing 33 50m pools, 98 25m pools and nine international standard diving centres.

Improved quality of teaching and coaching to 'raise the bar' and ensure affiliated clubs provide the best-quality experiences will be accomplished with the ASA's aim of obtaining a managed rating against the UK Consultative Forum scorecard and the training of around 4,300 volunteers by 2013.

"The ASA feels that the Olympics will provide a critical period in which we can deliver our challenging and exciting strategy to help people to achieve their goals, which is why we have set ourselves ambitious but achievable objectives," concluded Sparkes.