2022 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships

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2021 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships
Host cityKazan (canceled)
Date(s)23–28 August 2022 (canceled)
Venue(s)Palace of Water Sports
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The 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships was planned to take place from 23 to 28 August 2022 at the Palace of Water Sports in Kazan, Russia.[1][2] Originally the competition was planned for 24–29 August 2021, however the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in its postponement to 2022.[2] FINA officially canceled the competition on 27 February 2022, publishing in a statement, "FINA remains extremely concerned with the continuing war in Ukraine and following ongoing consultation with athletes and stakeholders from the aquatics family, FINA can now confirm that the 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships (23 - 28 August) is cancelled and FINA will not be holding any future events in Russia if this grave crisis continues."[3]

Background and planned qualification[]

The edition of FINA World Junior Swimming Championships planned for 2022 was to be the eighth edition of the Championships.[1] It was to be open to competition for girls ages 14 to 17 years old and boys ages 15 to 18 years old at the end of the 2022 calendar year.[4] All events held as part of the championships were to be conducted in a 50-metre (long course) pool.

Various qualification systems were planned internationally, one of which that was to be implemented by USA Swimming was the holding of a team trials competition from which swimmers would have been selected to compete at the 2021 World Junior Championships.[5] An initial roster of athletes to represent Australia at the competition was selected from the 2021 Australian Swimming Trials by Swimming Australia.[6]

Change of dates and location[]

Postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic[]

In March 2021, British Swimming announced that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic combined with other factors, including no publicly revealed dates nor venue for the 2021 World Junior Championships, had changed how they were conducting their selection trials for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[7] By the end of the month, Swimming Australia had withdrawn its swimmers for the championships due to concerns about transmission of COVID-19 to its athletes.[8] The following month Swimming Canada pulled out of the competition as well, in part due to concerns about the health and safety of its swimmers and in part due to difficulties fairly running qualification events.[9] Two months later, in June, FINA postponed the championships to August 2022 in the pursuit of safer travel conditions and less COVID-19 related risks for participating athletes.[2] Frustration was vocalized by USA Swimming following the postponement of the championships, and youth who would have competed at the championships had they been held in 2021 instead competed at the 2021 FINA Swimming World Cup.[10]

Path to cancelation[]

On 25 February 2022, elevated political tensions between Russia and Ukraine resulted in FINA cancelling water polo, artistic swimming and diving events that had been scheduled to take place in Russia for March and April 2022, in regards to other competitions scheduled to take place in Russia for the 2022 year, FINA stated, "Other FINA events that are scheduled in Russia for later in the year are under close review, with FINA monitoring events in Ukraine very carefully."[11]

On 26 February 2022, nine members of various Nordic Swimming Federations published a joint statement announcing their withdrawal from the Championships if it is hosted in Russia as a form of protest in opposition to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[12] The following national swimming federation presidents signed the statement: Danish Swimming Union (Denmark), Estonian Swimming Federation (Estonia), Faroe Islands Swimming Association (Faroe Islands), Finnish Swimming Federation (Finland), Icelandic Swimming Association (Iceland), Latvian Swimming Federation (Latvia), Lithuanian Swimming Federation (Lithuania), Norwegian Swimming Federation (Norway), and Swedish Swimming Federation (Sweden).[13]

On 27 February 2022, FINA published an official statement canceling the 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships.[3][14] FINA was one of a number of sporting organizations, which also included Formula One and the International Ski Federation, to boycott holding competitions in Russia by canceling an event originally scheduled to be held in the county.[15]

Path to reinstatement[]

On 23 March 2022, FINA announced its intent to reinstate the World Junior Swimming Championships with a change host venue and possibly dates.[16] The same day, FINA announced the Russian Swimming Federation had earlier withdrawn its athletes from FINA events for the remainder of the 2022 calendar year, meaning they would not send athletes to the Championships.[17]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2021". FINA. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Keith, Braden (2 June 2021). "FINA Postpones World Junior Swimming Championships Until 2022 Amid Pandemic". SwimSwam. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Press Release | FINA cancels 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships". FINA. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  4. ^ "FINA confirms junior swimming age eligibility for 2022". FINA. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  5. ^ "USA Swimming Announces 2021-22 National Events Calendar". USA Swimming. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  6. ^ McCormick, Jack (25 June 2021). "Australia Announces World Junior Championships, World University Games Rosters". SwimSwam. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  7. ^ "2021 British Swimming Selection Trials". British Swimming. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  8. ^ Hanson, Ian (17 July 2021). "Australian Swimming Withdraws From FINA World Junior Championships and World Universiade Games". Swimming World. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  9. ^ D'Addona, Dan (9 April 2021). "Swimming Canada Will Not Send Swimmers to World Juniors or Junior Open Water". Swimming World. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  10. ^ Ross, Andy (13 July 2021). "USA Swimming Names 43 Junior Athletes to Represent Country at FINA World Cup Series". Swimming World. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Press Release | Decisions on the FINA international events calendar". FINA. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  12. ^ "NSF statement on the acts of war towards Ukraine". Lithuanian Swimming Federation. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Jungtinis Šiaurės šalių plaukimo federacijų pareiškimas dėl padėties Ukrainoje" (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian Swimming Federation. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  14. ^ Ransom, Ian; Carroll, Rory (27 February 2022). "FINA cancels World Junior Championships in Russia". Reuters. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  15. ^ Garfinkel, Noah (28 February 2022). "Sports world leads Russia boycotts after Ukraine invasion". Axios. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  16. ^ "FINA in final stages of confirming new host for the 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2022". FINA. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  17. ^ "PRESS RELEASE | FINA Bureau meets, makes further decisions on Russian and Belarusian athletes and event hosting". FINA. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
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