World swim body eases rules on approved Russians competing in relays and some team events

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The World Aquatics governing body of swimming has eased rules that now allow approved athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in team events at international meetings.

World Aquatics confirmed Thursday that its ruling bureau has updated competition rules that will let athletes who have been competing as neutrals in individual events during the invasion of Ukraine to team up and compete in swim relays, artistic swimming and synchronized diving.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, aquatics and other sports bodies followed International Olympic Committee guidance and vetted individual athletes with passports from Russia and Belarus to return to competition. The IOC suggested a complete ban would be discrimination, though track and field’s World Athletics imposed one.

The neutrality rules included not publicly supporting the invasion of Ukraine and not having ties to the military and state security agencies.

Four swimmers — one from Russia and three from Belarus — competed in Paris as neutral individuals without a national identity of team colors, flag or anthem. They won no medals.

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The current list of approved neutral athletes in aquatics includes seven swimmers from Russia and seven from Belarus, three divers from Russia and three artistic swimmers from Belarus.

The IOC also advised continuing to exclude Russia and Belarus from team sports. The countries remain barred from international water polo “which intrinsically involves ... physical contact between athletes,” the World Aquatics guidelines stated.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

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