Ukraine criticized the decision of World Aquatics to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete with national symbols.
The International Swimming Federation (World Aquatics) decided to allow senior category athletes from Belarus and Russia to participate in competitions under their national flags and anthems. This decision caused a negative reaction from Ukraine, which considers it a legitimization of aggression.
President of World Aquatics Husain Al-Musallam emphasized the importance of maintaining sports platforms as venues for peaceful competitions between countries. According to him, water should remain a place where athletes can meet for peaceful competitions.
In 2023, athletes from Russia and Belarus competed as neutral athletes without using national symbols. However, now they have again been granted the right to perform with state symbols, which has caused outrage in Ukraine.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine expressed strong dissatisfaction with this step, noting that Russian symbols are associated with military aggression against Ukraine and war crimes. Minister Matviy Biedny stressed that the organization’s decision devalues the memory of more than 650 Ukrainian athletes who died as a result of Russia’s aggression and urged the international community not to support the legitimization of aggression through sports achievements.
It is also worth noting that the decision regarding adult athletes follows a similar verdict in February of this year when the European Aquatics Federation restored the rights of Russian and Belarusian athletes in junior international competitions. Similar decisions were also made in the fields of judo and taekwondo. This causes concern among the Ukrainian community, which fears that such steps may become part of a broader trend in international sports.
