Over 100 Russian swimmers cleared for competitio
World Aquatics expanded the list of athletes from the IOC-sanctioned country allowed to compete internationally as neutrals to 110 last week, featuring open-water swimmers Denis Adeyev, Yekaterina Sorokina and Anna Tulupova.
The updated total includes MargaritaYershova, Vladimir Ivanov, Nikita Khotko, Sofia Kolesnikova, Polina Kozyakina, Yana Kurtseva and Vladislav Utrobin, and technical support staff.
Russian athletes are currently cleared to participate in World Aquatics competitions only under a neutral status and be impartial to the ongoing war with Ukraine. Their flag and anthem will be swapped with those of World Aquatics at the events they compete in.
Swimmers from the Asian power marked their return to the international stage at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest in December 2024, with 27 athletes allowed to compete as neutrals. They won six gold and four silver medals, including Miron Lifintsev’s record-setting 100m backstroke triumph.
The Russian competitors were not allowed to speak to the media after their races and were prohibited from associating themselves with their country of origin as well as the national federation. The Russian Aquatics Federation stated it was important for their athletes to have the opportunity to compete internationally despite not being able to represent the country.
“Of course, we will continue to work patiently to ensure that our athletes have the opportunity to take part in international competitions,” Russia’s Presidential Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said, according to Swim Swam.
Russian sports federations are making strides towards reintegration into the global sports scene after their 2022 International Olympic Committee ban, including the swimming federation, which is under new leadership.
The Olympic bronze medalist has over two dozen European Championship medals in the men’s 4×100 freestyle. The 36-year-old is responsible for the national team’s target training programme.
Russian Diving appointed Olga Feoktiskova as the new head coach. She competed in two Olympics as a diver and coached in another two. She is best known for coaching Alexander Bondar, a three-time European Champion and Olympic bronze medalist in platform events.
As the list of neutrals grows, Russian swimmers are already making plans for the big leagues. Kliment Kolesnikov, a World Record holder and double Olympic medalist in Tokyo, said last month that he was committed to competing at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
While Kolesnikov was not present at the Worlds in Budapest, he now says that his views have evolved based on feedback from his teammates.
—Insidethegames.biz
