Russia's National Championship Swim Meet to clash with 2023 World Championships: Report

World Aquatics announced on Wednesday, April 5, that the decision on whether Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, will be deferred until July.

Since the announcement, the Russian federation has begun planning their domestic schedule, including the national championships and the final of the Russian Swimming Cup. The final, which will be held in Kazan from July 25 to 30, will clash directly with the 2023 World Championships.

The first stage of the Swimming Cup of Russia is set to take place on May 1-2 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, a city in the far-eastern region of the country that is less populated. This will mark the first time a major meet will take place in far-east Russia.

Gold medalists Team ROC pose during the medal ceremony for the Artistic Swimming Team Free Routine on day 15 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on August 07, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

Russian Olympic gold medalist and All-Russia Swimming Federation president Vladimir Salnikov had this to say about the committee taking the meet to the far-east:

"The stage is scheduled for May 1-2. For the first time in the history of domestic swimming, we are starting a stage from the Far East ... Our stars will show up for the competition. We hope that the new venue will arouse great interest in them, they will get acquainted with the region and see the beauty of nature. It is also important for the development of swimming, the country is large and it is not always possible to evenly distribute major tournaments across regions."

The second stage of the competition is set to begin on June 30 and conclude on the July 2. It will be held in Obninsk, a city 100 kilometers southwest of Moscow.

Vladimir Salnikov of the United Soviet Socialist Republics competes at the World Swim Championships. (Image via Allsport/Tony Duffy)

The third stage of the Russian Swimming Cup will take place from July 4 to 5 in Irkutsk. The final stage of the competition will take place in Kazan from July 25 to 30 posing a dilemma for the athletes who wish to compete at the 2023 FINA World Championships.

The country's national meet, the Russian Swimming Championships, will take place on the following dates:

• Russian Swimming Championship (50 meters) – April 16-21, Kazan
• Russian Open Water Championships – August 6-8, Krasnodar Territory
• Russian Swimming Championships (25 meters) – November 20-25, Saint Petersburg
• Salnikov Cup (25 meters) – December 16-18, Saint Petersburg

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The Russian National Swimming Team's head coach explains a strategic move towards Asia

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, a variety of sanctions have been imposed on the country. This includes various sporting bans. The announcement from World Aquatics regarding Russian and Belarusian participation has apparently had an influence on the country's decision to take the sport eastward.

A general view Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium on September 3, 2022 in Hangzhou, China. The 2022 Asian Games have been postponed for one year due to concerns about the COVID-19.

Sergei Chepik, the head coach of the Russian national swim team, explained the move in an interview with the All-Russia swimming federation. According to him, the decision to move eastward is necessary to keep the team ready in case they are allowed to participate in the Asian Games set to take place in Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8.

Considering the ongoing war in Ukraine, there remains a looming cloud over Russia's and Belarus' participation in major events across the world in the future. With no end in sight, it seems inevitable that Russia will be boycotted by the major European competitions.