World Aquatics allows Russia, Belarus athletes to compete with flags, anthems, uniforms

Swimmers, divers, artistic swimmers and water polo players from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete with their respective uniforms, flags and anthems "in the same way as their counterparts representing other sport nationalities," World Aquatics announced Monday . The World Aquatics Bureau, in consultation with the Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU) and the World Aquatics Athletes' Committee, said guidelines for athlete participation in aquatics events during periods of political conflict "will no longer apply to senior athletes with Belarusian or Russian sport nationality. " “Over the last three years, World Aquatics and the AQIU have successfully helped ensure that conflict can be kept outside the sporting competition venues," World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam said in a press release.

"We are determined to ensure that pools and open water remain places where athletes from all nations can come together in peaceful competition. " Before competing, the athletes must pass at least four successive anti-doping controls carried out in partnership with the International Testing Agency and completed background checks with the AQIU. Previously, World Aquatics allowed junior athletes from Russia and Belarus to start representing their nations again in February, following an IOC Executive Board recommendation for youth athletes .

World Aquatics — and most other Olympic sports governing bodies — banned athletes from Russia and Belarus from competition shortly after Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, using Belarus as a staging ground, in February 2022. World Aquatics — and other Olympic sports governing bodies — began allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as individual neutral athletes in 2023 following IOC recommendations, if they met specific criteria, including not supporting the war in Ukraine. In 2024, after the Paris Olympics, World Aquatics allowed approved neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus to form swimming relays, synchronized diving pairs and artistic swimming duets and teams.

In 2025, neutral athletes could start competing as water polo teams. Shortly before the World Aquatics announcement, the Ukraine water polo federation announced it would not play a scheduled men's World Cup Division 2 seventh-place match on Monday against a team of neutral athletes from Russia to conclude a weeklong competition.