{"id":599799,"date":"2024-11-20T12:08:03","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T19:08:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=599799"},"modified":"2024-11-20T12:08:03","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T19:08:03","slug":"world-aquatics-opens-the-door-for-neutral-athletes-to-enter-relay-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/world-aquatics-opens-the-door-for-neutral-athletes-to-enter-relay-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"World Aquatics Opens The Door For Neutral Athletes To Enter Relay Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Aquatics Opens The Door For Neutral Athletes To Enter Relay Teams<\/h4>\n

Neutral Athletes (NAs)<\/b> will now be able to compete in relays at World Aquatics<\/strong> events after updated guidelines for athlete participation came into force on 18 November 2024.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Guidelines for Athlete Participation in World Aquatics Events During Periods of Conflict were published by the Aquatics Integrity Unit<\/strong> and relate to swimmers from Russia<\/strong> and Belarus.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Among the most significant updates was that relay teams of neutral athletes from the same country can now be entered into World Aquatics competition.<\/p>\n

When World Aquatics<\/strong> prepared to welcome Russians and Belarusians back as neutral athletes<\/a> in September 2023, they said: they \u201cwill only be permitted to compete in events where a time or result is established by the performances of a single athlete” which ruled out participation in team events in any of the aquatic disciplines – and water polo entirely – and meant relays couldn’t be entered.<\/p>\n

At the 2024 World Championships<\/strong> in Doha, neutral athletes were identified as Neutral Independent Athletes (NIA) while the four neutral pool swimmers in Paris – Ilya Shymanovich, Anastasiya Shkurdai<\/strong> and Alina Zmushka<\/strong> of Belarus with Evgenii Somov\u00a0<\/strong>the sole Russian – competed as Individual\u00a0Neutral Athletes\u00a0(AINs)<\/p>\n

Water polo is still entirely excluded from World Aquatics events with the global governing body stating: “For the avoidance of doubt, no athlete having a sport nationality from a nation in Conflict shall be authorized to participate in any Event involving the aquatic sport of water polo, which intrinsically involves inter alia physical contact between athletes.”<\/p>\n

The World Aquatics<\/strong> guidelines reinforce the previous ones that state that athletes applying for neutral status are forbidden from having any contractual relationship with either the Russian or Belarusian military.<\/p>\n

Nor can they show support in any way for any conflict be it verbal or written, including on social media – such as liking pro-war posts – or participate in pro-conflict or pro-war demonstrations or events, or wear any symbol which can “reasonably be interpreted as in support for any Conflicts.”<\/p>\n

No government or state official will be invited to or accredited for an event nor will any World Aquatics competitions be staged in Russia or Belarus.<\/p>\n

The flags and anthems of their countries of origin are replaced by those of World Aquatics.<\/p>\n