World Aquatics will also allow Russians and Belarusians to compete: limited space and strict conditions

A few days before the start of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that a conclusion had been reached within the open file regarding the use of banned substances in sports in that country. Since its reports are not binding, WADA suggested to the IOC that it ban the presence of Russian athletes in that competition.

The highest Olympic body, with quick reflexes, established that each federation should decide on the matter.

Thus, while entities such as World Athletics acted in accordance with the WADA proposal and there were no Russian athletes, most of the disciplines authorized Russians who won more than 50 medals in Rio de Janeiro, only surpassed in the medal table by the United States, China and Great Britain.

Some leading figures in Olympism explained, always off the record, that the decision not to comply with the WADA request had been a silent response to what they considered a political move by people anxious to destabilize the leadership of the IOC.

Without taking the version for granted or discarding the version, the latest news in this regard, which ranges from seriously considering inviting Russian and Belarusian athletes to Paris 2024 to considering it technically unfeasible for these athletes from the same origin to participate in this year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, don’t help much to follow a fixed pattern of behavior. Abruptly, swimming is added to the phenomenon, which suddenly takes distance from the imaginary block that it had been sharing with athletics and gymnastics.

World Aquatics announced that it will allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in their competitions under the condition of neutrality. The International Swimming Federation was one of those that, together with those for athletics and gymnastics, had maintained the sanction of athletes from both countries since the invasion of Ukraine in February of last year.

In the last few hours, World Aquatics reported that the decision was taken “after extensive consultations and deliberations” and explained that it carried out “surveys among international junior, elite and master swimmers” to get the opinion of the athletes.

“The results demonstrate strong support for the key criteria established, including the absence of active support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the omission of flags and national anthems,” the organization said, noting that “67% of swimmers support the participation of individual neutral athletes who meet these strict criteria.”

The Aquatic Integrity Unit published the conditions that Russian and Belarusian swimmers must meet and will be responsible for accepting applications to compete or not.

One of World Aquatics’ decisions is that only an individual neutral swimmer from Russia and one from Belarus can participate per test in world competitions. In addition, the times to qualify must be taken outside their countries.

The president of World Aquatics, Husain Al Musallam, said that he “recognizes the dedication, commitment and talent of athletes, regardless of their nationality”. He added: “Despite the challenges we face on the international scene, we recognize our responsibility to promote a competitive, fair and inclusive environment for all competitors. I would like to thank everyone involved in developing the strict and fair approach that we have agreed to.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not yet confirmed whether athletes from Russia and Belarus will be able to participate as neutrals in the Olympic Games. Until today, due to the sanction, swimmers from those countries were unable to complete the time necessary to qualify for Paris 2024. They will have a chance next year at the Doha World Cup.

The only thing worse than bad decisions are contradictory decisions.

Too close to the Parisian event, that’s what our beloved sport is all about.