OTTAWA — Swimming Canada won't compete in this year's world short-course swimming championships in Kazan, Russia, because of that country's invasion of Ukraine.
"Swimming Canada, in solidarity with our global partners in sport, denounces Russia’s attack on Ukraine, and will not attend any further events in Russia or Belarus until a peaceful resolution is reached," the organization said Tuesday in a statement.
The 2022 short-course championships, where events are contested in a 25-metre pool, is scheduled for December.
FINA, the world governing body of swimming, announced early Tuesday it would strip Russian president Vladimir Putin of the FINA Order award presented to him in 2014.
FINA also declared Tuesday athletes from Russia or Belarus, which supports Russia's invasion of Ukraine, will be allowed to compete as neutrals only with no flags, emblems or anthems.
On Monday, FINA called off August's world junior championships in Kazan, and threatened to withhold future events in Russia "if this grave crisis continues."
FINA has cancelled a March 8 men's water polo World League match in St. Petersburg between host Russia and Greece, as well as April's diving and artistic swimming World Series in Kazan.
Canadians won 15 medals, including seven gold, in the 2021 world short-course championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in December.
"Swimming Canada supports sanctions against Russia and Belarus, including barring both countries from competition, and supports President Vladimir Putin being stripped of the FINA Order award," Canada's governing body of swimming said in Tuesday's statement.
FINA's world aquatics championships, which features swimming in a 50-metre pool, diving, water polo, artistic swimming and open-water swims, is scheduled for July in Budapest, Hungary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2022.
