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≡ RUSSIA RE-ENTRY ≡
“Senior athletes with Belarusian or Russian sport nationality will be permitted to compete in World Aquatics events in the same way as their counterparts representing other sport nationalities, with their respective uniforms, flags and anthems.”
The announcement on Monday (13th) is a significant break with the carefully-created protocol inside the Olympic Movement. Last December, the 14th Olympic Summit, at which World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam (KUW) was a participant, issued recommendations which specified:
● “[T]he Summit supported the IOC EB’s recommendation that youth athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should no longer be restricted in their access to international youth competitions, in both individual and team sports. The definition of youth competitions and the application of these recommendations depends for this purpose on the regulations of each International Federation (IF). The Summit participants committed to take these discussions back to their organisations for their consideration. It was recognised that implementation by the stakeholders will take time.”
● “In parallel, the IOC’s Recommended Conditions of Participation for International Federations and International Sports Event Organisers of 28 March 2023 should remain in place for senior competitions, and will be reviewed as necessary.”
Instead, World Aquatics decided:
“Following a decision of the World Aquatics Bureau, and in consultation with the Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU) and the World Aquatics Athletes’ Committee, the Guidelines for Athlete Participation in Aquatics Events During a Period of Political Conflict will no longer apply to senior athletes with Belarusian or Russian sport nationality.”
There was a small caveat to the admission, however, dealing with the continuing worries over Russian doping:
“Athletes with Belarusian or Russian sport nationality will only be permitted to compete once they have successfully passed at least four successive anti-doping controls carried out in partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA) and completed background checks with the AQIU [Aquatics Integrity Unit].”
As Russia and Belarus have been readmitted as members, look for the Russian federations to immediately press to hold the 2031 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, which hosted in 2015.
Until this move by World Aquatics, the International Judo Federation had been the largest federation to allow direct Russian and Belarusian participation, in November 2025.
Observed: The World Aquatics announcement is a direct confrontation with the International Olympic Committee and President Kirsty Coventry (ZIM). The principle of “athletes are not responsible for the actions of their governments” is now being pushed to its logical limit and the World Aquatics action, of course, opens the door to Russian soldiers competing in swimming, diving and water polo, potentially against Ukrainian individuals, and especially, teams.
It’s another headache for Coventry and another test of IOC leadership and control. It should be noted that World Aquatics chief Al Musallam is not an IOC member.
It is worthwhile to point out that the IOC owns the Olympic Games and sets the eligibility rules for the Games, so the World Aquatics rules do not pertain to the Games. But where does the IOC go now, with aquatics allowing everyone in, and World Gymnastics likely to follow. But World Athletics, under President Sebastian Coe (GBR), has been resolute in keeping Russian and Belarusian athletes out of international competitions.
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