World Aquatics and the athletes involved in the International Swimming League lawsuit have reached a settlement in the U.S. District Court of California. AQUA will establish a $4.6 million fund that will be distributed to swimmers who signed contracts to compete at the ISL event in Turin in 2018 and in the 2019 ISL season.
“This lawsuit dates back to the previous management of FINA, and, regrettably, it has dragged on for so many years,” said World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam. “However, I am pleased that we are finally able to step in and provide this significant sum of money for the swimmers, many of whom were badly let down. I do not believe that it would have been fair for our athletes to continue to suffer financially, and this settlement ensures that the swimmers are fully compensated and reflects World Aquatics’ continuing commitment to the development of the sport of swimming and support for swimming athletes around the world.”
The suit was led by named plaintiffs Tom Shields and Katinka Hosszu, though it was the league’s ownership and management who drove and funded most of the legal action. They were represented most recently by Jeffrey Kessler, the lead plaintiffs’ attorney in the landmark NCAA v. House lawsuit, is representing the swimmers.
The settlement is still pending approval from the judge.
A separate lawsuit between the International Swimming League (ISL) and World Aquatics will move forward, with a jury trial scheduled to run for eight days from January 12-22, 2026.
Both antitrust cases were initially filed in 2018, with the athletes accusing World Aquatics (then FINA) of restricting them from competing in outside competitions and the ISL alleging that by threatening sanctions to the swimmers, World Aquatics hurt its ability to attract top swimmers and thrive as competition in the market.
The suit alleges that the 2018 Energy for Swim meet in Turin, Italy, was canceled due to the restrictions put in place by World Aquatics. The swimmers claim they were denied at least $3.3 million in appearance fees and prize money for both the 2018 Energy for Swim competition and subsequent events the ISL could have held if World Aquatics hadn’t gotten in the way.
The ISL ran for three seasons, beginning with a seven-meet schedule in 2019 before hosting expanded 13- and 18-event schedules in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the league canceled its fourth season following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and never resumed operations. Many athletes say they still have not received their full promised payouts from the league.
In the long-running lawsuit led by Shields and Hosszu, a lower court ruled in favor of World Aquatics in January 2023, but the ISL and Shields, Hosszu, and co. filed a joint appeal that June to reverse the ruling.
In September 2024, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 3-0 ruling that the groups provided sufficient allegations to let their antitrust cases move forward against World Aquatics.
In December, the ISL sued the law firm Farella Braun + Martel in San Francisco Superior Court, accusing the firm of professional negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of implied contract, and unfair business practices in its antitrust case against World Aquatics.
Who Benefits?
While the details of the distribution of settlement funds were not released, and there is no full roster of the canceled 2018 event, we do know the identity of athletes who competed in the 2019 season – which includes most of the known names committed to the canceled 2018 event.
In total, 251 swimmers scored at least 1 point in the 2019 season.
A simple equal-share distribution among those athletes would amount to about $18,300 per athlete, though Shields and Hosszu, at a minimum, would likely receive a bigger share as the named plaintiffs.
World Aquatics in its release about the lawsuit boasted $7.1 million in prize money paid to swimmers in 2024, with athletes collectively earning $11.1 million at AQUA events that year. Both are the highest in the organization’s 116-year history.
A lot of things are going on under Mr. Husain Al Musallam. Bad and good at the same time.
In term of good, we can notice significant opportunities and allowances for athletes.
In term of bad, the Aquatic Integrity Units (AQUI) has been clearly demonstrated their partialities, unfairness, and discriminatory actions toward poor country leaders.
HAITI AQUATICS HAS BEEN VICTIMIZED OF PARTIALITY, UNFAIRNESS, AND DISCRIMINATION from AQIU.
Please, read below
The example of irrational and unjust decisions toward 4 innocents leaders from Haiti Aquatics is simply draconian. PURE DISCRIMINATORY ACTIONS!
Haitian Federation of Aquatic Sports have unique source of funding from World Aquatics, between $22500 to $25000 in 2 enstalments every year.
With that small amount, and… Read more »
$7.1 million paid to all swimmers in one year.
One football player makes that in a month.
You get $25,000 for beating a World Record.
This sport is never going nowhere on this front.
Best just enjoy it ourselves for all the benefits it brings.
Swimming doesn’t have to match the pay of football players (whether you mean American football or soccer) in order for it to be a more viable professional sport.
Football was a professional sport for a long time before Ronaldo signed with Al Nassr for $700 million. That is not the standard. This is also not the entirety of money swimmers make.
We can focus on incremental gains even if it doesn’t keep up with football.
It’s not the swimming sport’s fault, it’s the masses’.
What is mind boggling is that you see so many people pretentiously criticizing the outrageous amounts around soccer, but they don’t hesitate to spend 1000€ a year on annual memberships, merchandising, tickets and pay-per-view TV.
Of course Ronaldo is not the standard. There are millions of talented young soccer players who never make it to the big scene and waste years in the sport, either by just not being enough or by getting the rug pulled out from under them by all the snakes and intrigues around the sport (yes, there are those in swimming too).
What I can tell you is that the standard (say, an average second league… Read more »
This comparison isn’t fair. Football is the most mainstream sport and the most profitable. Comparing swimming to football is like comparing an ant to an elephant. The sport’s peak popularity is during the quadrennial Olympics, after which it languishes. Swimming isn’t very entertaining to watch, and the level of professionalism is low.I think the first step for the sport to develop significantly is for the World Swimming Federation to be willing to share its profits with athletes, rather than seeking profit under the guise of non-profit.
A swimsuit contest could get more eyeballs and sponsors than a swimming competition.
Stupid comment but you’re right. The sad fact is there’s more money in swimsuit contests than swimming. There is a ton of money in the world people just do not want to fund swimming. The only way to get money into the sport is by adding personality we need a drive to survive documentary style show. Get some drama get some people invested.
It would take a “Lord of the Flies” scenario to make watching swim races financially viable…another stupid but true statement by me;-)
I’m sure her buddy 0rban has access to all of the cash that she’d ever need.
Most be more money from World Aquatics to non-World Championship events because those payouts (prize money) are the same since 2013.
I wish World Aquatics had simply settled this far sooner, HOWEVER, I do like that World Aquatics got ahead of this news, providing facts from their perspective. This is solid communications from a gov body standpoint — something we rarely see from our domestic NGB (USA Swimming).
No MA anymore?
Management was busy on a holy crusade on X against the evil covid vaccine, they couldn’t get their hands dirty in labor disputes.