PARIS, August 9. /TASS/. European Aquatics is ready to allow Russian athletes to compete under their national flag and anthem at its events if the countries hosting them grant permission, European Aquatics President Antonio Silva told TASS.
"The decision [to restore the flag and anthem] was made by World Aquatics. The question is how we can implement it. A number of European governments do not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate unless they remain neutral. This is the case in France, for example. Therefore, we asked to postpone the issue of implementing World Aquatics’ decision until after the European Championships. We need to consider different cases, but the decision has generally already been made. If national governments allow it, all athletes will compete without restrictions," Silva said.
Russia might have the right to host the 2028 European Aquatics Championships, Silva also noted. "Russia was unable to stage the tournament in 2024, so it has now been moved to 2028. We need to assess the situation and speak to all stakeholders: the Russian Aquatics Federation, the European federation and the government of Tatarstan. We will do this in the coming days. Then we will discuss the matter with the European Aquatics Bureau and make a decision," he said.