The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has cancelled the World Junior Swimming Championships in Kazan and vowed not to hold "any future events in Russia if this grave crisis continues".
Following the widely condemned invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee urged all remaining events due to be held in Russia and its ally Belarus to be moved and for the countries' flags and anthems to be banned from the sporting stage.
Kazan had been set to host the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships from August 23rd to 28th, but this has now been cancelled.
This year's World Swimming Championships (25m) are scheduled from December 17th to 22nd in the Russian city.
While the Championships were not directly referenced in FINA's statement, the International Federation added that it "will not be holding any future events in Russia if this grave crisis continues".
FINA said it "remains extremely concerned with the continuing war in Ukraine", and had taken the decision to cancel the World Junior Swimming Championships "following ongoing consultation with athletes and stakeholders from the aquatics family".
"FINA reiterates its pledge to provide whatever practical support it can to members of the aquatics family who are impacted by this situation and expresses its deepest sympathies and support to the people of Ukraine," a statement concluded.
The International Federation had cancelled April's Artistic Swimming and Diving World Series events in Kazan on Friday (February 25th), and said that future competitions scheduled to be held in Russia were being kept "under close review".
|
