International Swimming League to Host Summit on Swimming’s Future

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A galaxy of stars, including 11 Olympic and 18 World champions from 10 of the world’s leading swimming nations, will gather at a brain-storming summit in London next week to help launch a new era for their sport.

The International Swimming League will host a two-day educational and brain-storming event at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea Football Club, in Fulham, London, from December 18-19. The aim is to provide athletes with “the tools to build a brighter future for their sport in a professional environment,” starting with the creation of a global Swimmers’ Association.

Having a collective voice will help the swimmers create the foundation for a better future, both during and after their sports career. This is the moment when athletes can make history as the pioneers who changed their sport for the better.

Athletes attending the event boast between them 15 Olympic titles, more than double that number of World titles and hundreds of international podium honours. They include 30 current stars and retired former champions Lenny Krayzelburg (4-times Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder), Jason Lezak (8-times Olympic medalist, with 4 Olympic gold medals), Mark Foster and Peter Mankoc, two of the biggest names in the history of shortcourse swimming.

The League, led by financier Konstantin Grigorishin, intends to launch a swimming series of professional team matches starting from next year.

Efforts to establish the League have so far been blocked by FINA, the international federation threatening suspensions, but waves of world-class swimmers, led by reigning Olympic champions Adam Peaty, Katinka Hosszu, Sarah Sjostrom, Ryan Murphy, and Cameron van der Burgh alongside with Michael Andrew, and Thomas Shields, have urged the global body that insists on monopoly rule to think again.

While global sport a lucrative business worth billions and swimming and swimmers generates hundreds of millions in revenue for FINA, swimmers work and compete as professionals but have, as Grigorishin puts it, “no salary, social guarantees, no welfare, no medical and life insurance, no pension rights”.

The League has pledged to change all that, starting with the creation of a Professional Swimmers Association that will represent athletes to build a fair partnership with regulators and event organizers, the welfare of swimmers and their rights to earn a living from their work paramount.

The ISL believes that the swimmer should have a priority say in all decisions that affect them and the development of their sport.

Beyond the world-class swimmers listed with this release, we are also extending an invitation to any elite swimmers who wish to attend the event at Stamford Bridge: your support will show your peers in the pool, swim fans, the media, the sponsors, and the swimming governing bodies, national and international, that you have an opinion and you are ready to voice it for yourself, your future teammates and the values of your sport.

— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with the International Swimming League. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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Rupa Nayar

5 years ago

i am strongly on the side of ISL. If all other sporrs person get benefit of their hard work achievements why not a swimmer gets his/her right? We will get quality swimmers upcoming from each country if ISL comes in action.