In Doha, World Aquatics (WA) is upholding their strict criteria for Russian and Belarusian swimmers to make a return to international competition, even if it leads to some of the world’s top swimmers from these countries boycotting the Paris Olympics. Last September, the global governing body of swimming allowed the return of Russian and Belarusian participants after banning them following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
These swimmers are only allowed to compete as neutrals and are prohibited from participating in relay events. They must also adhere to the strict criteria, which includes refraining from making any “explicit or implicit” statements supporting the war in Ukraine, referred to by Russia as a “special military operation”. Additionally, they are subject to stringent anti-doping requirements and are not allowed to speak to the media during competition.
Russia’s swimming federation has condemned these protocols as unacceptable and discriminatory, leading to no Russian swimmers participating in the ongoing World Championships in Doha. Brent Nowicki, the WA Executive Director, expressed his firm support for the policy, stating, “I’m standing by the policy 100%. I don’t think it’s too restrictive. I think it’s a policy that reflects the voice of our community.”
Several top Russian swimmers, such as Kliment Kolesnikov and Evgeniia Chikunova, who could have been strong medal contenders, have not competed in Doha. Meanwhile, four Belarusian swimmers have competed as neutrals in the championship, further undermining the competition, which has already been met with disinterest from many top swimmers due to its unusual February schedule and its proximity to the Paris Olympics.
In December, the International Olympic Committee endorsed the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals in Paris. While most sports have allowed them to return to international competition, some, like athletics, still maintain their bans. The Russian swimming federation declined to comment on whether they will send swimmers to the Olympics or support athletes competing under the WA protocols in Paris.
Nowicki indicated that there may be a review of the protocols and possible changes if there is support from the WA’s athletes committee, board, and coaches. He acknowledged the desire to have the best swimmers in the pool for the best possible competition but emphasized that sometimes sacrifices need to be made in the interest of sporting competitive balance and fairness. He stated, “Everybody wants to have the best competition possible, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices. In the interest of the sporting competitive balance that we’re trying to strike and fairness, sometimes it means the best swimmers out there …. won’t be in the water.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Doha; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
