The World Water Championships, scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar, are getting closer, and as of Wednesday there is still no solution for the participation of about 50 Israeli athletes, who are supposed to try to determine the criteria for the Paris Olympics in swimming, open water, water polo and artistic swimming.
Today, the world's largest swimming website "swimswam" reported that the Israeli Swimming Association has raised the idea of allowing the relay team to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 based on the results at the European Championships, which are scheduled to take place in May, and it has not yet been determined where it will take place. The reason this idea is even on the agenda is the fact that there may be a significant problem in the entry of Israeli athletes to the World Championships, since Qatar serves as the de facto home of Hamas leaders, and even funds the organization. The absence of Israeli athletes from the World Championships in Qatar will severely impair their ability to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris next year.
Anastasia Gorbenko. Will you arrive in Qatar?, Photo: Oren Aharoni
World Aquatics CEO Brent Nowitzki says Israel has not asked the organization to allow the European Championships to be considered Olympic advances. "We have not received any requests regarding the use of the European Championships as a qualifying event for Paris," Nowitzki told SwimSwam.
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"We are of course aware of the complexity that could arise if Israel chooses not to compete in Doha. It should also be emphasized that the safety of all our athletes always remains a priority and this event is no different in this respect. For this reason, we are maintaining an open dialogue with the Federation regarding the ongoing conflict in their region, but separate or unique certification pathways have not been discussed at this time."
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