MOSCOW, November 4. /TASS/. The world’s governing body of swimming sports, World Aquatics, has permitted Russian water polo players to compete at international tournaments from January 1, 2026.
According to World Aquatics, Russian athletes will be allowed to take part in competitions in a neutral status and will be banned from associating themselves with Russia in any way. The same criteria will be applied to water polo players from Belarus. World Aquatics is the first organization to clear Russian athletes to compete as neutral in team sports.
“These Guidelines are in respect of athletes: (i) having a sport nationality from a ‘nation in Conflict’ (as determined by the World Aquatics Executive in its sole discretion at any time), and (ii) wishing to participate in any World Aquatics event or competition (e.g. World Aquatics Championships, World Aquatics Swimming Championships, World Aquatics Junior Championships, World Aquatics Masters Championships, World Aquatics World Cups, World Aquatics Diving Recognized events), or in any event or competition organized by a Continental Organization of World Aquatics, in the aquatic sports of swimming, open water swimming, artistic swimming, water polo, diving and high-diving, for all age categories,” it said.
World Aquatics’ previous ban on Russia, Belarus
In March 2022, World Aquatics (FINA until December 2022) ruled to bar Russia and Belarus from FINA’s upcoming international swimming competitions.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended international sports federations in late March 2023 to allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sports tournaments, but only under specific conditions.
Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be “actively supporting” Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.
