Swimming sets ‘strict’ rules for individual Russians to return to competition before Paris Olympics

GENEVA: Individual Russian swimmers will be allowed to compete in international events, including the Paris Olympics, if they meet a set of “strict criteria” that include not talking to the media, the sport’s governing body said Monday.

The World Aquatics governing body published its criteria Monday for Russian and Belarusian athletes, coaches and officials to return to competition as neutrals after being banned because of their countries’ war in Ukraine.

The criteria follow the International Olympic Committee’s guidelines that only individual athletes from Russia and Belarus — no teams — can be allowed to compete in Paris, and that they must not have shown any public support for the war.

World Aquatics said only one Russian and Belarusian athlete will be allowed to enter in each swimming and diving event.

They cannot take part in any relays, artistic swimming, synchronized diving, or water polo.

World Aquatics has appointed a panel to vet athletes, coaches and officials to make sure they have not shown any support for the war — such as statements, social media posts or taking part in pro-war demonstrations — since the invasion started in February 2022.

That could bar swimmer Evgeny Rylov, a two-time gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, who was suspended last year for wearing a “Z” symbol at a pro-war rally in Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

World Aquatics said the rules took effect Monday though it is unclear how long vetting will take after athletes apply for neutral status.

Individual athletes still have to qualify for the Olympics in order to compete in Paris next summer. Main events on the swim calendar before then include three World Cup meets in October in Berlin, Athens and Budapest and the 2024 aquatics