The Kenyan Olympic Committee (NOC-K) has confirmed that they expect to send swimmers to the 2020 Olympic Games, in spite of the national swimming federation’s suspension by FINA.
FINA, the international governing body for aquatic sports, announced that it had suspended the Kenyan Swimming Federation until “elections are held in accordance with FINA Rules.” The federation has not held elections since September 2014, in spite of several warnings from FINA. The former president of the federation resigned in 2017 after being arrested in late 2016 on theft charges. He was one of many Kenyan sporting officials who were arrested after investigations into missing equipment and money surrounding the 2016 Olympic Games. Ekumbo called the decision a “retirement.”
Kenyan Olympic Committee secretary general Francis Mutuku told African journalist Ayumba Ayodi that it had received 2 “wildcard” entries for swimmers into the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, more commonly known as Universality entries. Under this program, countries without any qualified athletes or relay teams may send a maximum of 2 athletes, 1 man and 1 woman, in 1 event each.
Mutuku also revealed that the federation had been given 3 months to abide by the FINA order to hold elections, and that the NOC-K “believes that the KSF will be able to meet the requirement put in place way before the Olympics.”
Mutuku says that if the Kenyan Swimming Federation is not reinstated, that the Olympic Committee has the power to enter the swimmers independent of the swimming organization and to help them prepare.
This is in line with past decisions, including at the 2016 Olympic Games where Kuwait was able to send 2 swimmers in spite of the federation being suspended.
Kenya sent 4 swimmers to last summer’s World Championships in Gwangju, China. The country’s highest finisher was 21-year old Emily Muteti, who finished 40th in the 100 fly in a time of 1:02.88. The FINA Olympic Selection Time (“B” time) in that event is 59.66. Kenya’s lone Olympic finalist in swimming came in 2008, when Jason Dunford finished 5th in the men’s 100 fly.
The federation of the Federated States of Micronesia is also currently suspended. They too sent 4 swimmers to the World Championships, and should be eligible for universality places.