Swiss Aquatics has released a statement saying that it will not send a team to the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary if Russia and Belarus are permitted to compete.
The protest comes in light of the Russian invasion, with the assistance of Belarus, of Ukraine almost two weeks ago, an action that has killed at least 636 civilians according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Swiss Aquatics said it would be “not appropriate” to send a team given the situation in Ukraine.
“After consultation with coaches and some top athletes in the sports of diving and swimming, and after extensive discussion in the Central Board, Swiss Aquatics has come to the conclusion that it is not appropriate at this time to send athletes from Russia or Belarus to the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest under their nationality or even under a neutral flag to receive a start permit from FINA and participate.”
While several countries have said that they would not compete at more minor events where Russia and Belarus were present, or withdrawn from meets that are still scheduled to be hosted in Russia, Switzerland is the first federation to announce that they will withdraw from the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest in May.
That meet was a late addition to the schedule after strict Japanese COVID-19 regulations forced the original Fukuoka hosting to 2023.
Switzerland won 2 medals in swimming at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games. Jeremy Desplanches took bronze in the 200 IM and Noe Ponti took bronze in the 100 fly.
Switzerland historically has sent swimmers, divers, and artistic swimmers (synchro) to the World Championships, though most of their success comes from the swimmers.
Last week, FINA reaffirmed its stance to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under neutral flags and symbolism, which Russia Swimming president and FINA board member Vladimir Salnikov called “balanced.”
Many Ukrainian athletes have been evacuated to other countries to resume training, including notably Italy and Hungary.
FINA continues to be the biggest international sports governing body that is planning to host an event in Russia this year. While they withdrew the 2022 World Junior Swimming Championships from Kazan, December’s Short Course World Championships have not yet been moved.
The Swiss government, famously neutral in international politics, has also taken a stance against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Swiss Aquatics is unreservedly committed to a safe, fair anddoping-free sport. Under the current circumstances, Swiss Aquatics believes that neither the safety nor the fairness for the participating athletes at the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest can be guaranteed if athletes from Russia or Belarus take part.”
Will Switzerland return the monies in Swiss banks etc to owners in Ru & Bl ? Or will they try &.keep it like they did with deposits 1935-1945 from victims of the Holocaust ? It took 50 years to prise it out of them .
Always follow the money .
Contrary to what people think Switzerland has never been neutral
This is so common there’s a Wikipedia page for it, but I don’t think most folks react the same way to it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycotts_of_Israel_in_sports
And that’s worth investigating.
(I’m not even saying I’m opposed to what Switzerland is doing, it’s just that you could make the same case in plenty of other instances.)
When we impose economic sanctions it is ordinary people who suffer the most but we do it anyway to show our moral outrage and in the hope that in the long run it will change the behaviour of autocrats like Putin. Yet when sporting sanctions are proposed there are many who start screaming about how unfair it would be on the athletes. Yes, it is unfair but it’s the moral thing to do and it’s the only leverage we have. If more countries acted like Switzerland then out of touch sports organizations like FINA would have to take public opinion into account.
Superb, hopp Schwiiz!
Eurodrama .
w country
Here is the translation of the latest Instagram post from Anna Ryzhkova, a Ukranian 400m hurdler who was 5th in the Olympic final. All of these emotions and you’re going to allow Russians to compete. Splendid clarity, FINA:
“Almost 3 weeks of experiences: despair, anger, shame, fear … we all feel it, but we do not lose hope, love and confidence in victory! And during the war it is difficult to put thoughts into the text.
Now, as never before, I felt that sport is not just a hobby or a job, it is people-leaders, it is a community of mutual assistance. I am proud of my friends who joined the Armed Forces, the Terrorism Defense, volunteered or simply helped… Read more »
Some people wait, some act!
Big respect for Switzerland for their clear position!
Why didn’t you speak when the West was bombarding the middle east? Never heard of you talking about banning american and european athletes.
Love your hypocrisy. But you know what Oleg Kostin will beat you again this year and Caeleb Dressel will smash your 22.2
Wow, “you’re a world record holder and a World Championship medalist” is one of the worst burns I’ve ever heard.
Jesus Christ, read the room!
I’m certainly not defending Western imperialism, but that’s an incredibly cruel and petty thing to say to someone whose country is being invaded by a hostile foreign power.
Firstly, how do you know he didn’t? “The west” hasn’t “bombarded” the middle east since Govorov was unknown to any of us. Russia has though.
Secondly; I love how these takes that try to paint it all as western hypocrisy ignore the fact nobody spoke up when Russia invaded and annexed Ukrainian land 8 years ago, nor during the last 8 years as Russia occupied part of Eastern Ukraine either.
I’m not defending Western imperialism by any measure, and there is an element of hypocrisy (if you apply to past conflicts without the context of cultural changes), but until extremely recently people didn’t speak out. Our societies have changed rapidly, people don’t sit quietly anymore whether the subject is… Read more »
Homie brought up his world record time to make fun of him 💀💀
How many civilians has Russia killed in a a few weeks? 12 days in it was well over 400 stop being a Putin simp it’s a really really dumb take.
yeah thats the average for the USA since 1990 in the Middle East and Northern Africa
What about Russia bombing Syria these past few years? It’s not just the West who have been active in the Middle East. In fact you are the one being hypocritical implying that American athletes should also be punished for Middle East wars when Russia has been just as active in the region for many years. They were even in Afghanistan 20 years before the Americans.