FINA acknowledges new UN resolution barring political discrimination from major sporting events

The FINA Bureau met in Lausanne, Switzerland Thursday and came out with a declaration emphasizing that its member federations should not bar their athletes from participating in FINA events for political reasons.

FINA acknowledged the UN’s recent resolution emphasizing “that the unifying and conciliative nature of such [sporting] events should be respected,” and also pointed back to Priciple 6 of the Olympic Charter, which deals with discrimination within the Olympic movement.

This might be somewhat a response to USA Swimming’s general non-attendance at the Open Water World Cup event in the United Arab Emirates in April. US swimming great Fran Crippen died during the last UAE-hosted event, which was criticized for having athletes swim in water that was far too warm.

USA Swimming has been very clear that it is not boycotting the race as an organization, but isn’t offering funding or support services for US athletes who do go. The vast majority of US open water athletes appear set to swim the Crippen Cup, named in honor of Crippen, earlier in the month instead.

The other “between-the-lines” aspect of FINA’s release deals with this summer’s World Championships, to be held in Kazan, Russia. There has been fleeting talk of boycotts among fans based on political disagreements with Russia as a nation. FINA, in hoping to get all of its member federations participating in its biggest event, is emphasizing that sports should be independent from political issues, something the United Nations recently supported in a new resolution.

With the FINA World Championships set

The full press release from FINA is below:

FINA Bureau Declaration
participation of national federations in fina events
At its meeting in Lausanne (SUI) on February 12, 2015 the FINA Bureau unanimously made the following Declaration regarding participation of National Federations in FINA events:

“Acknowledging the United Nations resolution adopted by consensus at the 69th regular session of the UN General Assembly in New York “recognising that major sport events should be organised in the spirit of peace, mutual understanding, friendship, tolerance and inadmissibility of discrimination of any kind and that the unifying and conciliative nature of such events should be respected, as recognised by fundamental principle 6 of the Olympic Charter”;

Acknowledging the Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter specifying that “any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement”;

Recalling FINA’s Constitutional Rule C 4 prohibiting any form of discrimination against National Federation or individuals on the grounds of race, gender, religion, or political affiliations and FINA’s Constitutional Rule C 8.2.7 on the obligation of its members “to participate in international Aquatics’ Competitions especially in the FINA World Championships”;

Recalling Rule IV.1 of the FINA Code of Ethics affirming that “no discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, or political opinion shall be tolerated”;

The FINA Bureau makes a strong appeal to the participation of its 208 National Federations at FINA events. The strength and popularity of our Sport, Aquatics, is based on the values of Universality, Excellence, Friendship and Fair-Play. That is why FINA does not tolerate any form of political motivation to justify the non-participation in our events, as this is clearly incompatible with the FINA Rules, the Olympic Charter, the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly and the values of Aquatic sport.”