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Olympic silver medalist Girev never wanted to swim as neutral — official

"As far as I know he did not apply for neutral status. How did he end up on this list? That’s a question for him," Vladimir Salnikov pointed out

MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. Russian Ivan Girev had no intention of competing internationally under a neutral status, Vladimir Salnikov, the president of the Russian Swimming Federation (RSF), told TASS on Monday.

Girev, 23, is the first and only swimmer from Russia to be cleared by the world’s governing swimming body, World Aquatics, to compete internationally under a neutral status.

"Girev has made his stance clear," RSF President Salnikov said. "As far as I know he did not apply for neutral status. How did he end up on this list? That’s a question for him."

"Perhaps, out of curiosity he decided to see what they would say, a declaration or something else," Salnikov said.

"Maybe there were other reasons. But he [Girev] had no desire to receive this status as far as I know," the RSF chief added.

Girev, 23, won the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the men's 4x200 meter freestyle event. He also won a silver at the 2019 World Aquatics Championship in Gwangju, South Korea, and is a two-time European champion.

The world’s governing body of swimming sports, World Aquatics, in early September decided to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international competition under a neutral status.

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

In March 2022, World Aquatics (FINA until December 2022) ruled to bar Russia and Belarus from FINA’s upcoming international swimming competitions.

At its session on March 28, 2023, the IOC Executive Board issued recommendations to permit individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain conditions. Athletes from the countries in question should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status.

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