FINA has announced the cancellation of the 2022 World Junior Swimming Championships that were scheduled to be held from August 23-28 in Kazan, Russia as a result of Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. FINA is looking for a replacement host for the event.
“FINA remains extremely concerned with the continuing war in Ukraine and following ongoing consultation with athletes and stakeholders from the aquatics family, FINA can now confirm that the 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships (23 – 28 August) is cancelled and FINA will not be holding any future events in Russia if this grave crisis continues,” the statement reads.
“FINA reiterates its pledge to provide whatever practical support it can to members of the Aquatics family who are impacted by this situation and expresses its deepest sympathies and support to the people of Ukraine.”
The organization did not simultaneously announce the cancellation of the World Short Course Swimming Championships that are scheduled for December in Kazan, but did say that if the “grave crisis” in Ukraine continues, that they won’t hold any future events there.
After federations and athletes from around the world called for the event to be removed from Russia, the onus will be on the world’s community to step in to the hosting role.
FINA’s actions mirror most other international sporting federations that have removed events from Russia in light of the government’s invasion of Ukraine. The FINA move stopped short of meeting the requested demands by several European federations, including Ukraine, to block athletes and sports officials from participating in international competition.
In an unusual move, the International Olympic Committee last week urged all international sports federations to pull events from Russia and Belarus, though they stopped short of asking for suspensions of athletes. At least three European nations, Poland, Sweden, and Czech Republic, have refused to play against Russia in Men’s Football World Cup qualifying matches, while the UK pulled visas from the Belarusian Men’s Basketball Team.
That’s great. Not sure parents would be comfortable sending their kids there, no matter what the competition.
FIFA just banned Russian and Belarusian from the World Cup. Not the gimmick of allowing the teams to play under some club banners; no play at all. Time for FINA to the two countries from any FINA competition.
They should begin with revoking Putin’s FINA Order! Also interesting to see if FINA and LEN remove Russian and Belarusian officials from their Bureaus and Committees.
Stop beating around the bush we all know you corrupt *not family friendly insult* can’t profiteer off of events held in Russia anymore
Australia boycotts short course worlds if it remains in Russia.
https://www.swimming.org.au/news-articles/statement-regarding-events-scheduled-russia
Let’s have it in Hawaii!
Next site up ….. announcement hopefully soon …..
INDY!
A great venue for this type of meet.
IUPUI is the most overrated pool in the history of swimming pools
I agree, definitely overhyped. I found it to be a horrible location for the 2017 World Junior Champs, the venue was dilapidated and well below world standard, plus there were barely any spectators.
Pan Am in Toronto is a much better choice as is Jean Drapeau in Montreal
Well the soccer players refused to play Russia so the equivalent would be for swimmers to not race any Russians. So swimmers stand down behind the blocks if you got a Russian in your heat!!!
wonder if anyone at NCAAs would be willing to do this lol
Don’t even start that hate on here. These are kids. There will be plenty of Russians at NCAAs
Why not? Send them all home! Its called political pressure. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt. Its better than just starting to drop bombs everywhere and kill everyone.
Seriously !!!” Kids”of the same age as those ncaa swimmers are fighting on both armies over there and dying. But yes let’s have everyone else protest on our behalf but let’s make sure our swim meets continue as if nothing is going on in the world.
many Russians oppose what is going on, leave them alone
Actually the opposite should be happening. We should insist they go home and change things.
… not sure how much your world view coincides with reality
Reality is what we make it. Even when it’s difficult.
Letting Rublev write ‘no war please’ on the camera is more powerful than banning him from competition. Should encourage young Russians to stand on the same side of the world instead of pushing them to the opposite.
He was not too bothered by the 8 year war in Donbass ? Maybe it was not on Tiktok .
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I feel like this is not really… helpful. Not all Russians wanted them into invade, unless those Russian soccer players were vocal about being in favor for it, no point. And as for swimmers, I’m sure its the same. why would you not race against someone just because of their nationality and what their nation has done. USA has done some REALLY crappy things. (not invaded obviously) but we have. that would be like saying dont race germans because of WW2. and Dont race Britains because of their entire slave trade through India. we would never race again.
Now if it was based on the fact that Russian athletes systematically doped with government help THEN I’d be on board.… Read more »
The fundamental flaw in your logic is that Germans swimming today are unlikely to be able to influence the outcome of ww2 and Britain’s swimming today unlikely to change what happened during the slave trade. Every person today on this planet including Russian swimmers has a voice and an opportunity however seemingly insignificant to influence what is happening in the Ukraine. How would you judge a Russian swimmer who swims at the ncaas and then stands on a podium at an international meet in the future representing Russia.