World Aquatics has reportedly called on Polish officials to change their stance on allowing Russians to compete at next month’s European Short Course Swimming Championships in Lublin.
On Oct. 23, Dmitry Mazepin, the president of the Russian Aquatics Federation, announced that the Russian swimmers would not be racing at SC Euros.
Mikhail Degtyarev, the Russian Sports Minister and Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), called it a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, and noted that Russia would call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reassess Poland’s decision, referencing how it reacted when Indonesia denied entry to Israeli athletes last month.
The IOC told its members not to host any events in Indonesia after the country denied Israeli athletes entry for the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
“In the case of Poland, we haven’t even seen a formal condemnation yet,” Degtyarev said, according to Match TV. “This is a clear double standard. We expect the IOC to be consistent in upholding Olympic principles and athletes’ rights to equal participation in international competitions.”
However, on Oct. 27, Mazepin told Russian state-sponsored news agency TASS that World Aquatics called on Poland to address its restriction on disallowing Russian swimmers to compete at the meet as neutral athletes.
“We are grateful to World Aquatics for its prompt support and the request to the relevant European bodies,” Mazepin said, according to TASS. “Over the past year, our athletes have been granted the right to compete as neutrals in world championships in Hungary and Singapore, as well as in European cups.
“World Aquatics continues to serve as an example for other organizations, making it clear that sports should be free of politics and the principles of the Olympic Charter should be respected.”
Although World Aquatics has allowed Russian athletes to compete at its recent major championships as neutrals, including the 2024 World Short Course Championships and the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, European Aquatics has maintained its restrictions on barring Russians and Belarusians from competing in senior events, up until recently.
On Thursday, SwimSwam reported that European Aquatics would follow the new World Aquatics guidelines that allow Russians to compete in team events, though its status regarding the 2025 SC Euros was still unknown.
The 2025 European Short Course Swimming Championships are scheduled to be held in Lublin, Poland from December 2-7. Lublin is only about 50 miles from the border with Ukraine and even closer to the nearest border with Belarus.
Russia has not competed at the European SC Championships since 2021, when it played host in Kazan and led all nations with 11 gold medals.
At the 2024 SC World Championships last December, Russia’s athletes won six gold medals, competing under “Neutral Athletes ‘B'”, with Miron Lifintsev sweeping the men’s 50 and 100 back, Ilya Borodin winning the men’s 400 IM, and the team winning three relays, including setting a new world record in the men’s 4×100 medley.
Poland knows what this is like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDJVeO_Mw0g
this article is a shining example the people trying to erase that are one in the same as trying to erase this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvxrD75B1PA
Climate change is this shockingly bad https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2511595122 and yes that is very much related to shilling for Russia and/or being too busy chasing fantasies apocalyptic religious fantasies (“AI” is 1000% is on that list) to care
I truly wonder how history will judge us for letting ourselves be bullied by pathetic 70 year chomos
Under Putin, Russia is nothing more than a gas station run by terrorists. Until they leave Ukraine and pay for reparations, they have no place among civilized nations.
100%
*delete*
World Aquatics needs to finish their job and strip Poland of hosting the meet, so next time they will learn the hard way not to mix politics with sports.
Now it’s time for the IOC to issue a statement to its international federations banning Poland from hosting any sporting events going forward, similarly to what they did with Indonesia.
Poland has every right to deny access. Their neighbor has been escalating provocation in recent weeks by sending in drones. (Not to mention more Russian drones illegally entering multiple EU countries airspace.) Kudos to Poland for standing tall and limiting Russian participation in EU Championships. Yes, there are consequences for ALL of the choices but it is not appropriate for WA to strong-arm Poland into letting (the enemy) in.
You’re reacting emotionally buddy. Do you know what the USA did/is doing in multiple countries militarily or not ? Because if you knew, your Land of Uncle Sam won’t be able to organize nor participate at any competition if we follow your theory. So don’t play that game.
You don’t seem to understand that when you’re hosting a sporting tournament, you’re obliged to grant visas to every participating athlete regarding of nationality.
What do you mean by Kudos to Poland ? Will you say the same thing about Indonesia not granting visas to Israelis ?
Is it appropriate for the IOC to strong-arm Indonesia into letting Israel in ?
Swim Fanatic, why assume I’m American??? I don’t live in the US. There should be consequences for all countries who commit atrocities and this includes the US, “buddy”. I’m not your buddy and its not an emotional reaction. America is on a path to suffer considerable consequences worldwide and it will be well-deserved. Its been a long time coming. !!!!!!!! Keep Russians and Belarusians out of EU Championships!
Live Poland’s history of being invaded and oppressed by Russia and then you can comment.
At this point i would just consider them not part of europe and let them find their own meet. Do the Euro swim countries even have to listen to WA?
any country can decide who they allow or who they don’t to cross their border, right?
Poland won’t grant them visas but they can get Schengen visas from another EU country (Spain) and enter Poland via Germany.
Russians competing in Poland would bring a lot of controversy. That’s for sure. Poland is one of the most anti-Russian countries and Lublin being so close to Ukraine makes things more dramatic.
Schengen doesn’t mean you are free to enter from within. You may but you may also be denied.
Nope they can’t. They will banned from hosting any sporting event in the future by the IOC.
If you want to host a sporting tournament, you’re required to grant visas to every athlete participating.
Yes, but as with most things: the right to choose doesn’t mean freedom from consequences for those choices. They also signed contracts.