All-Russian Swimming Federation President Vladimir Salnikov recently spoke with local outlet Match TV on numerous topics regarding the future of Russian swimming following the conclusion of the national championships in Kazan.
With FINA banning all Russian swimmers from competing at the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, and ultimately all FINA-sanctioned events for the remainder of the year, Salnikov was asked about where he stands regarding attending the FINA General Congress and other organizational meetings.
Salnikov said that while he’s unsure about the future, he has received an invitation to attend the Extraordinary Congress on June 19 at the World Championships in Budapest, along with a separate FINA Bureau meeting at the event.
On the possibility of the Russian federation relocating, with the European governing body, LEN, banning Russians from competing and other sports considering a move to Asia, Salnikov said they will remain patient.
“I don’t think you can make hasty decisions,” he said. “You need to understand that it can be delayed, there are associated risks (with making a drastic move).
“We are going to have a series of meetings on the topic of future life. But once again, there is no need to make sudden movements, you just need to calm down and continue to work.”
Salnikov, a four-time Olympic gold medalist during his time representing Russia in the pool, also spoke about the 2024 Olympics in Paris, saying “it is necessary, we must perform at the Olympic Games.”
If Russian participation is restricted, Salnikov said going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is a possibility, though he hopes it doesn’t come to that.
Moving forward, Salnikov says the federation is planning on running the “Friendship Games” in Kazan, July 21-25, and then the “Spartakiad” in St. Petersburg in August.
The Friendship Games were held once, in 1984, organized for athletes who didn’t compete at the Olympic Games that year in Los Angeles after the Soviet Union opted not to attend. The Spartakiad was also held to supplement the Olympics four times from 1928 to 1936.
Salnikov has also publicly said Russia’s participation in the Mare Nostrum Series is “in doubt.”
“I think that Mare Nostrum is a big question, despite the fact that the competition will take place,” he told TASS.
“But I foresee certain organizational difficulties, based on the fact that the European federation (LEN) has adopted very strict restrictions on our athletes to participate in various events under their auspices. Therefore, I think that guarantees [of participation] can only be in our country, which we will focus on.”
A sober look on this situation makes me believe it will take a sudden withdrawal of invaded territories, and return of occupied land. Or we have at least an Olympic cycle before Russia returns to international sport.
Let’s hope that either the Russian government will do the right thing (doubtful) and leave Ukraine, or that the Ukrainian resistance can hold for now and then begin to push the invaders back.
“Local outlet Match TV”…Match TV would better be described as “Russian Government owned media outlet Match TV, created in 2015 by Vladimir Putin”
I wish SwimSwam would stop using Match TV as source material, as the company leaders continue to engage in pro-war activity and its simply being used to portray the false narrative of Russian athletes as the victims of this situation.