USA Swimming, Other Federations Are Weighing Options for Israel Open Water World Cup

USA Swimming and several other federations are weighing options for sending teams to the Open Water World Cup in Eilat, Israel in December amid ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas.

USA Swimming, like many federations, planned to use the Eilat stop of the World Aquatics Open Water World Cup series to select their open water teams for the 2024 World Championships. Because of the unusual time of 2024 Worlds, in February, countries are unable to host their normal selection meets.

Sources tell SwimSwam that USA Swimming is having a conversation about whether or not to stick with the event in Israel, and a USA Swimming spokesperson confirmed that the organization was discussing it, but have not made a decision yet.

“We will not be releasing any statement until we have thoroughly vetted all options and made the right decision for our athletes and coaches,” the spokesperson said. “This is an extremely high priority for us.”

USA Swimming’s selection procedures, at least, include provisions for what happens if the Israel event is postponed or canceled. Specifically, USA Swimming will attempt to (but not be obligated to) find a replacement race for the event, USA Swimming will choose the swimmer with the fastest long course 1500 meter freestyle time in the pool between January 1, 2022 and December 2, 2023, among swimmers on the Open Water National Team.

The Open Water World Cup is scheduled for December 1-2, 2023, and no other stops of the series are scheduled between now and then, so any replacement would likely be an international national championship event or an ad hoc event put together by nations in a similar situation, unless World Aquatics moves the race.

The full USA Swimming text below:

These Selection Procedures are based on World Aquatics rules and regulations, as applicable and as presently known and understood. Any change in the Selection Procedures caused by a change in World Aquatics rules and regulations will be distributed to the affected athletes immediately. The Selection Procedures are based on the latest information available to USA Swimming. However, the Selection Procedures are always subject to unforeseen, intervening circumstances, and realistically may not have accounted for every possible contingency. If circumstances cause the altercation or cancellation of any of the Qualifying Competitions listed
in this document, these Selection Procedures will be revised.

Specifically, with regards to the Israel Open Water World Cup, should this event be cancelled or postponed so that it will not be completed before the entry deadline, USA Swimming will not Select any Available Swimmers under Priority #2. USA Swimming will attempt to assign a replacement race for Priority #2, but there are no guarantees that USA Swimming will be able to do so. USA Swimming will make an announcement regarding a replacement event no later than two weeks from the date that the Israel Open Water World Cup cancellation or postponement is announced. USA Swimming is under no obligation to find a replacement event for the Israel Open Water World Cup. If a replacement race is held, these Selection Procedures will be updated no fewer than 45 days prior to the replacement event and USA Swimming will directly notify all Open Water National Team and Open Water National Junior Team athletes and coaches of the change.

Should the event cancellation or postponement occur on or after the entry deadline, or if USA Swimming is unable to find a replacement race, USA Swimming will not assign a replacement race for Priority #2 and will instead implement Priority #3. Priority #3 will only be implemented in this scenario.

The spots in the women’s open water races are pre-awarded to Katie Grimes (3rd place) and Mariah Denigan (8th place) via their top 8 finishes at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships if they choose to accept them.

World Aquatics has not commented on the ongoing fighting in Israel or any plans to postpone, cancel, or relocated the Eilat open water event. One local swim official in Israel observed that it is still early, and that Eilat is “one of the quietest places in Israel, even now.” Eilat is located on the Gulf of Aqaba at the far southern tip of Israel, roughly 175 miles from the Gaza border region that has seen the heaviest fighting so far.

Still, Eilat has been the target of several missile launches in the past, largely from ISIS and Al-Qaeda linked groups in the Sinai peninsula in Egypt. While most of these rockets were intercepted, in 2010, three rockets fell on the city of Eilat, though no injuries or damage was reported from any of them.

While this is the most intense fighting in the region in 50 years since at least a 1973 war that saw at least 10,000 deaths, recent battles in the area have lasted only a few days to a few weeks.

There have been no reported missiles or ground fighting in the area of Eilat over the last week.

The US government has reported that 11 Americans have died in Israel and Gaza so far, with more believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas. The US embassy in Israel is currently at a level 2 alert, recommending that US citizens “exercise increased caution,” but have not yet escalated to level 3 warnings to reconsider travel or level 4 warnings to not travel. Travel to Israel has become more difficult though. While the country’s main Ben Gurion International Airport remains open, many flights have been canceled or suspended, and all US carriers have temporarily suspended flights to Israel.