USA Swimming having second thoughts on sending teams to Open Water World Cup in Israel in light of Hamas attack

With Israel engaged in a war with Hamas, the upcoming Open Water World Cup in Eilat, Israel, hangs in limbo. USA Swimming, along with many other federations, are currently weighing options on whether to send a team for the Open Water World Cup, scheduled to be held in Eilat on December 1 and 2, 2023.

The Open Water World Cup holds a huge significance as federations, including the US swimming federation, have planned to use it to select their teams for the 2024 World Championships.

There are no other races in the series scheduled between now and the 2024 World Championships in February. While federations hope the World Aquatics moves the event, any replacement event in all likely would be an international national championship event or an ad hoc event put together by nations that would act as a selection trial for the World Championships.

World Aquatics, however, is adopting a wait-and-watch approach. World Aquatics have not released any statement or comment on the ongoing war in Israel as it could still "be early" to take a call.

For the record, Eilat, which is located on the Gulf of Aqaba at the far southern tip of Israel, roughly 175 miles from the Gaza border region, is one of the quietest places in Israel, even now.

The war has already claimed the life of Israeli international swimmer Eden Nimri. The 22-year-old was killed at Nahal Oz, a village located in South Israel. Nimri was a lieutenant in the Israeli Defense Force and a commander of a drone unit fighting.

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USA Swimming to choose swimmer with fastest long course time if no team goes to Open Water World Cup

USA swimmer Katie Grimes during a training session. (PC: Getty Images)

Although the future of the Open Water World Cup is still not clear, USA Swimming does have a contingency plan in place. The federation's selection procedures include provisions for what happens if the Open Water World Cup is postponed or canceled.

Although the swimming federation is not obligated to find a replacement race for the event, it has decided that it will choose the swimmer with the fastest long course 1500 meter freestyle time in the pool between January 1, 2022, and December 2, 2023, to the Open Water National Team.

"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 said in a media release.

"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. If USA Swimming is unable to find a replacement race, the federation 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 statement added.

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 eight finishes at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.