Andrei Minakov, the top college “free agent” during the offseason, will remain on The Farm.
Minakov confirmed to SwimSwam Thursday that he will remain at Stanford University despite entering the NCAA transfer portal in late April, though he is still considering sitting out of the 2023-24 season with an Olympic redshirt.
A Russian native, Minakov’s decision could hinge on whether or not there is any movement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in potentially allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2024 Olympics as neutral athletes. However, the clock is ticking with the 2023-24 collegiate campaign set to commence in a number of weeks.
The most recent update from World Aquatics on the matter was that a decision would be made “later in the year.”
Minakov said he will make his decision by September 20.
Minakov’s decision to stay with the Cardinal comes after there was speculation he was headed to join the reigning NCAA champions at Cal. That speculation was warranted as Minakov recently re-entered the transfer portal listed under Cal, indicating at one point he (likely) intended to go to Berkeley.
The 21-year-old has two seasons of NCAA eligibility remaining, having started his academic career at Stanford during the 2020-21 season while studying remotely from Russia.
He’s since competed the last two seasons with the Cardinal, winning the 2022 NCAA title in the men’s 100 butterfly in a time of 43.71, a performance that ranks him #4 all-time, and he also placed third in the 100 free (41.09) at those championships.
This past season, Minakov won the Pac-12 title in the 100 fly and placed fourth at NCAAs, producing a time of 44.27. He also played an integral part on Stanford’s relays as the team finished eighth overall in the team standings.
A four-time World Junior Championship gold medalist (2017, 2019) and nine-time European Junior champion (2018, 2019), Minakov broke through on the senior international stage in 2019, winning silver in the men’s 100 fly at the World Championships while adding two relay medals in the men’s 400 free (silver) and 400 medley (bronze) relays.
Representing the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, he finished fourth in the 100 fly, 10th in the 100 free and swam on the ROC relays that finished fourth (men’s 400 medley) and seventh (men’s 400 free).
He also won six medals at the 2021 Short Course World Championships and three medals at the 2020 European Championships (in 2021).
Pray for Ukraine 💗
That our proxy war may end 🙏
Nice try but not a proxy war. The Ukrainians would be fighting this war even if they were receiving no assistance from other nations.
To say otherwise is to deny their agency.
It all hinges on him being conscripted for war .. duh
Any reason in particular he will announce on 9/20? What is he waiting on to decide if he will compete? Is he currently enrolled at Stanford? Doesn’t this seem odd to anyone else? World Aquatics will not announce if Russia can compete until much later than September so perhaps he is waiting on Stanford to make a decision? None of this makes sense.
Fall quarter at Stanford starts 9/26. He probably wants to make his decision before the quarter starts.
Still doesn’t make sense. You need more than a week to plan to attend school. I’d assume the swimmers arrive more than a week prior to the day school starts. Nice idea but flawed logic. I wonder what is behind his late decision? Last year he didn’t swim until January. Either way Stanford has no chance to beat ASU or Cal with or without Andrei.
The very same stupidity that kept the US home in 1980. Gifted athletes are forced to play pawn for these fools and their world domination games.
I don’t know what is more tragic, the fraud of this Olympic competition, or the culture that allows such folly.
This certainly can’t be good for the likes of Andrei Minakov.
Huh?
Kind of hidden in the article: A Russian native, Minakov’s decision could hinge on whether or not there is any movement from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in potentially allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2024 Olympics as neutral athletes.
“neutral”, as opposed to swimming with a political agenda presumably like the rest of the competitors? Or is he going to be allowed to leave his weapons at home?
And what kind of neutrality does the IOC enjoy?
What a joke.
Why don’t you move to Ukraine and let us know.. people in glass houses
So we’re in agreement; this is a brilliant strategic ploy by the IOC aimed at gathering emotional support for the innocent citizens under the threat of tyrannical terrorism and specifically to assist in helping those in bondage to feel better about themselves.
you’d see the proxy war we’ve been funding because our leaders are stuck in the 1980s. It’s sick. Boomers suck. They’re warmongering monsters.
it is a good thing in not so good position as ones country is homicidal but one has nothing to do with it so “neutral” offers one way out.
He could always defect to a new country.
Rex effect
It’s the being 4 quarters away from a Stanford Degree effect. Rex wouldn’t be training with Minakov much regardless.
Dang, guess that’ll make ASU the favorites next year. Still have hope for some decent freshman and Chai contribution, but ASU will be absolutely loaded with redshirt seniors
When Cal (Dave Marsh) calls up 15 international swimmers in January with A cuts, you’ll want to reconsider this comment
God I hope so
Cal should be fine. I feel like ASU fired their best shot last year and will be taking a step backwards this season, while Cal retains most of their top talent and brings in a loaded freshmen class
I really like the ASU program, but I hope Cal wins so we can all see Andrew’s head explode!