Russian, Belarusian swimmers to be allowed to compete with flag, anthem after restrictions dropped by World Aquatics The governing body for international swimming and aquatic sports will allow athletes from Russia to compete without restrictions and with their national flag and anthem.
World Aquatics said on Monday it will remove restrictions which had required Russian and Belarusian athletes to be vetted and to compete under neutral status.
“Senior athletes with Belarusian or Russian sport nationality will be permitted to compete in World Aquatics events in the same way as their counterparts representing other sport nationalities, with their respective uniforms, flags and anthems,” World Aquatics said in a statement. It had previously relaxed the rules for junior athletes.
World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam added, “We are determined to ensure that pools and open water remain places where athletes from all nations can come together in peaceful competition.”
ALSO READ | TOPS set for overhaul as Sports Minister seeks more focus on high-yielding disciplines
World Aquatics oversees sports like swimming, diving and water polo and is an influential voice in the Olympic movement.
Its decision applies only to its own events, like the world championships, but could add momentum within the Olympic world for a full return of Russian athletes ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the International Olympic Committee.
In December, the IOC recommended removing restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes for international youth events and letting them compete under national flags.
The IOC still kept its neutral requirements for senior competitions and Russians, and Belarusians were officially referred to as “Individual Neutral Athletes” at the Winter Olympics in February.
Published on Apr 13, 2026
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The governing body for international swimming and aquatic sports will allow athletes from Russia to compete without restrictions and with their national flag and anthem.
World Aquatics said on Monday it will remove restrictions which had required Russian and Belarusian athletes to be vetted and to compete under neutral status.
“Senior athletes with Belarusian or Russian sport nationality will be permitted to compete in World Aquatics events in the same way as their counterparts representing other sport nationalities, with their respective uniforms, flags and anthems,” World Aquatics said in a statement. It had previously relaxed the rules for junior athletes.
World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam added, “We are determined to ensure that pools and open water remain places where athletes from all nations can come together in peaceful competition.”
ALSO READ | TOPS set for overhaul as Sports Minister seeks more focus on high-yielding disciplines
World Aquatics oversees sports like swimming, diving and water polo and is an influential voice in the Olympic movement.
Its decision applies only to its own events, like the world championships, but could add momentum within the Olympic world for a full return of Russian athletes ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the International Olympic Committee.
In December, the IOC recommended removing restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes for international youth events and letting them compete under national flags.
The IOC still kept its neutral requirements for senior competitions and Russians, and Belarusians were officially referred to as “Individual Neutral Athletes” at the Winter Olympics in February.
Published on Apr 13, 2026
![Knicks and Nuggets Blow Big Leads: What Went Wrong in Game 2? | Deadspin.com Roughly 5,000 feet of elevation separate Denver and New York City.Still, gravity works the same regardless of where one stands. Just ask the NBA teams in both towns.“You get too high, and you get, I don’t want to say cocky, but feeling yourself,” Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said.That sensation went south on either side of the country Monday night.After squandering sizable leads that would have cemented commanding 2-0 advantages in their respective first-round playoff series, the Nuggets and Knicks now find themselves bracing for a fight.Should their opponents ultimately have their number, Denver and New York will look back with disdain on 19 and 14. Those were the Game 2 cushions the teams coughed up as the No. 3 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference.“It’s a game we should’ve won,” Knicks guard Josh Hart said. “In the playoffs, we can’t give away games.”Be that as it may, the Knicks did just that against the Atlanta Hawks. They controlled the outcome for much of the night and took a 12-point edge into the fourth quarter after leading by as many as 14.Then New York shot 5-for-22 from the floor in the final 12 minutes compared to 10-for-15 for Atlanta. Fighting through vulgar chants from the Madison Square Garden faithful, Hawks star CJ McCullom scored six straight points down the stretch during one key sequence on the way to a game-high 32.“In that fourth quarter, you could tell [the Hawks] were playing with a level of desperation,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “There were four 50-50 balls, and they got three of the four. We always use that stat to gauge the level of aggression in a game. In that fourth quarter, their aggression stepped up.”New York’s melted at the same time. How many late possessions saw the Knicks pass or hold the ball around the perimeter before settling for subpar looks from 3-point range? The Knicks went 3-for-11 from deep as part of their flop.Denver led the Minnesota Timberwolves by 19 points early in the second quarter before crumbling. The Nuggets still were ahead by three points to start the fourth quarter but a combined 2-for-12 shooting effort from pillars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the final 12 minutes took a toll.“I feel like we had the game in hand, and then we just didn’t make our shots,” Murray said.As with the Knicks and Hawks, the reversal of fortunes stemmed both from the hosts’ miscues and an outstanding effort from a visiting player, as Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards had 30 points.“Great leadership, positive,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He recognized he needed to get into attack mode and get downhill a little bit more. He did that.”The Knicks and Nuggets no doubt sensed the need to amp up their own urgency as things started slipping away Monday.That neither could act upon it didn’t signal the end for either New York or Denver, of course. But now there’s unnecessary added weight for the climb back to the top. #Knicks #Nuggets #Blow #Big #Leads #Wrong #Game #Deadspin.com](https://i1.wp.com/lineup-publishing.s3.amazonaws.com/1776807037837?ssl=1 "Knicks and Nuggets Blow Big Leads: What Went Wrong in Game 2? | Deadspin.com Roughly 5,000 feet of elevation separate Denver and New York City.Still, gravity works the same regardless of where one stands. Just ask the NBA teams in both towns.“You get too high, and you get, I don’t want to say cocky, but feeling yourself,” Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said.That sensation went south on either side of the country Monday night.After squandering sizable leads that would have cemented commanding 2-0 advantages in their respective first-round playoff series, the Nuggets and Knicks now find themselves bracing for a fight.Should their opponents ultimately have their number, Denver and New York will look back with disdain on 19 and 14. Those were the Game 2 cushions the teams coughed up as the No. 3 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference.“It’s a game we should’ve won,” Knicks guard Josh Hart said. “In the playoffs, we can’t give away games.”Be that as it may, the Knicks did just that against the Atlanta Hawks. They controlled the outcome for much of the night and took a 12-point edge into the fourth quarter after leading by as many as 14.Then New York shot 5-for-22 from the floor in the final 12 minutes compared to 10-for-15 for Atlanta. Fighting through vulgar chants from the Madison Square Garden faithful, Hawks star CJ McCullom scored six straight points down the stretch during one key sequence on the way to a game-high 32.“In that fourth quarter, you could tell [the Hawks] were playing with a level of desperation,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “There were four 50-50 balls, and they got three of the four. We always use that stat to gauge the level of aggression in a game. In that fourth quarter, their aggression stepped up.”New York’s melted at the same time. How many late possessions saw the Knicks pass or hold the ball around the perimeter before settling for subpar looks from 3-point range? The Knicks went 3-for-11 from deep as part of their flop.Denver led the Minnesota Timberwolves by 19 points early in the second quarter before crumbling. The Nuggets still were ahead by three points to start the fourth quarter but a combined 2-for-12 shooting effort from pillars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the final 12 minutes took a toll.“I feel like we had the game in hand, and then we just didn’t make our shots,” Murray said.As with the Knicks and Hawks, the reversal of fortunes stemmed both from the hosts’ miscues and an outstanding effort from a visiting player, as Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards had 30 points.“Great leadership, positive,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He recognized he needed to get into attack mode and get downhill a little bit more. He did that.”The Knicks and Nuggets no doubt sensed the need to amp up their own urgency as things started slipping away Monday.That neither could act upon it didn’t signal the end for either New York or Denver, of course. But now there’s unnecessary added weight for the climb back to the top. #Knicks #Nuggets #Blow #Big #Leads #Wrong #Game #Deadspin.com")
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