Norway and Poland Oppose Russian and Belarusian Athletes Competing Under National Flags
Evgeny Rylov was the last Russian athlete to win an Olympic Gold in swimming, competing for the Russian Olympic Committee in Tokyo in 2021.
The Norwegian Swimming Federation (NSF) has joined Poland in declaring it will not host international championships as long as athletes from Russia and Belarus are permitted to compete under their national flags.
Last week, World Aquatics lifted neutrality restrictions, allowing swimmers from Russia and Belarus to compete under their respective flags. Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, competitors from these two countries had only been allowed to participate as neutrals. Belarus is a close ally of Russia.
The Polish Swimming Association announced on Friday that athletes from Russia and Belarus would not be welcome to compete at next year's European Diving Championships if the war in Ukraine remains ongoing.
NSF president Cato Bratbakk told :
"Our position is clear. We will not host any championships as long as Russian and Belarusian senior and junior competitors have full access, entry rights, and are permitted to use their flags and national anthems."
He added:
"We are scheduled to meet with Nordic colleagues next week, where we hope our position will create momentum against the decision made by World Aquatics."
Norway has never hosted the World Aquatics Championships and last co-hosted the European Aquatics Championships in 1985.
The decision by World Aquatics follows a similar move by the International Paralympic Committee, which allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags at the recent Games in Milan-Cortina.
