Efimova, Minakov & Morozov To Miss Russia’s Friendship Games

2022 Friendship Games

• July 21-25, 2022 (swimming)
• Kazan, Russia
• Kazan Aquatic Sports Palace
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central

Top Russian swimmers Yuliya Efimova, Andrei Minakov and Vladimir Morozov will miss the upcoming “Friendship Games,” an event the nation will host later this month to supplement the World Championships.

All-Russian Swimming Federation President Vladimir Salnikov told reporters the trio would miss the event that begins on July 21 due to travel issues, with all three living and training in the United States.

Salnikov added that Olympic medalists Evgeny Rylov, Kliment Kolesnikov and Anton Chupkov will be in action.

“Whether we like it or not, we will compare the results of the winners of the World Championship and these competitions,” Salnikov said via translation.

“In swimming, the presence of an opponent raises the emotional background, but you can compete with a stopwatch and without it. Thanks to Kazan for taking on such a mission to host the Friendship Games.”

Rylov and Kolesnikov combined to win all four of the individual medals claimed by swimmers representing the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) at last summer’s Olympics, including Rylov earning a sweep of the men’s backstroke events.

Aleksandr Krasnykh, who won Olympic silver last summer on the ROC men’s 800 free relay, is also expected to compete.

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, the country’s athletes (along with Belarus’) were banned from competing at last month’s FINA World Championships.