Russia hopes swimming return paves way for end to sporting neutrality

Straits Times

a day ago

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Neutrals (from left) Miron Lifintsev, Kirill Prigoda, Daria Klepikova and Daria Trofimova with their mixed 4x100m medley relay gold during the World Aquatics Championships on July 30.
LONDON – One of the key figures behind diplomatic efforts that secured Russian swimmers' return to elite competition at this week's World Championships is now hoping to end Russia's sporting neutrality, as officials push for wider Olympic participation.
The Russian Olympic Committee was
banned for violating the Olympic Charter in relation to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but some of its athletes competed as neutrals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and sports such as swimming are gradually welcoming more Russians back into the fold.
Dmitry Mazepin, president of the Russian Aquatic Sports Federation and vice-president of the ROC, said he would do his best to ensure that Russian athletes compete under their national flag in time for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and urged the sporting community to end double standards.
'If you are in the wrong sport, you will be punished,' he said, pointing to tennis and ice hockey, where individuals have been allowed to continue competing, while many swimmers have been left out in the cold.
'I'm happy for the moment that my athletes and swimmers can compete everywhere. Unfortunately with the neutral flag, but they can compete.'
Mazepin said negotiations on swimming participation included personal meetings with World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam and countering what he called 'political' opposition from certain countries, particularly Nordic states.
The doping scandals that plagued Russian sport for years no longer form a part of opposition to Russians' participation, he said.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam
Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet
Asia Asia-Pacific economies welcome new US tariff rates, but concerns over extent of full impact remain
Business ST explains: How Trump tariffs could affect Singapore SMEs, jobs and markets
Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August
Singapore SPH Media awards three journalism scholarships to budding newsroom talent
Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1
Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore
'It's always about political cases,' Mazepin said. 'We do not discuss any doping issues.'
In October 2023, the IOC suspended the ROC for admitting regional sports organisations under the authority of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine as members. The four Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia were annexed after referendums that Western nations have dismissed as shams.
Mazepin said the ROC had made changes, now structured by federation rather than geography, and was pushing the IOC to remove restrictions based on its new structure.
A final decision will ultimately come down to new IOC president Kirsty Coventry, but previous IOC statements suggest any significant relief for Russia is unlikely while it continues to wage war in Ukraine.
The IOC has condemned Russia's 'senseless war', describing it as a violation of the Olympic Charter for which it holds the Russian and Belarusian states and governments solely responsible.
Mazepin criticised what he views as another double standard – that nations involved in other conflicts around the world have not also been punished in sporting terms.
'We, as the Russian sports community, are asking why we were punished and others were not touched,' he said. 'But we are dreaming of a comeback.' REUTERS