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World Aquatics expands list of Russians allowed at int'l events as neutrals

In total, the list now includes 110 names, including technical support staff

GENEVA, February 7. /TASS/. The world’s governing body of swimming sports, World Aquatics, has expanded the list of Russian athletes who are allowed to compete internationally as neutrals to 110 people, the global body of swimming sports said in a statement on Friday.

The updated list now includes open-water swimmers Denis Adeyev, Yekaterina Sorokina, Anna Tulupova, MargaritaYershova, Vladimir Ivanov, Nikita Khotko, Sofia Kolesnikova, Polina Kozyakina, Yana Kurtseva and Vladislav Utrobin.

In total, the list now includes 110 names, including technical support staff.

Russian athletes are currently cleared to participate in World Aquatics competitions only under a neutral status, as they are prohibited from associating themselves with their country of origin as well as the national federation.

At the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest in December 2024, the Russians won 6 gold and 4 silver medals, taking second place in the unofficial medal standings. For them, this World Cup was the first after a three-year break caused by sanctions.

2024 World Aquatics Championship (25m)

A total of 27 Russian swimmers were granted the right to participate as neutrals in the 2024 World Aquatics Championship (25m), which took place in Budapest, Hungary, on December 10-15.

In March 2023, World Aquatics (known as FINA until December 2022) decided to bar Russia and Belarus from participating in any future FINA-sanctioned international swimming events.

Before the World Aquatics ruling in March 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations on February 28, 2022, advising international sports federations to exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in international tournaments.

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