FINA has taken note of the filings with the US District Court for the Northern District of California. As World and Olympic champions, the swimmers in question will understand better than others that FINA’s attention is currently and appropriately focused on the 950 swimmers, including two of the athletes in question, from 180 member federations taking part in the 14th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Hangzhou, where prize money of US $ 2,070,000 will be distributed. 

FINA will nonetheless give the filings our full attention and mount a robust defense if required to do so. Meanwhile in Hangzhou, the FINA Athletes Committee will consult with aquatics athletes in order to continue its work of making sure athlete voices are clearly heard within FINA’s decision-making bodies.   

As always, FINA remains open to proposals that would genuinely enhance - rather than conflict with - the current and planned competition calendars, providing further opportunities for aquatics athletes, and ideally in a manner that benefits the whole sport. With FINA’s events serving as the foundation of international swimming competition, FINA will also continue to innovate in terms of competition format, sports entertainment, broadcast and digital distribution, in order to set stages worthy of our sport’s stars.