World Aquatics Offers Russia Chance to Host Championships

ST. PETERSBURG, June 4. /TASS/. The international governing body of the swimming sports, World Aquatics, has offered the Russian Aquatic Sports Federation (RASF) to host the World and European championships, RASF Chairman Dmitry Mazepin said on Thursday.

"I have a proposal already on the table regarding the organization of the European and World Championships [in Russia]," Mazepin said speaking at the ‘In the Lead up to the 2028 Olympics’ panel conference held within the framework of the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"They [World Aquatics] insist that [the Russian city of] Kazan cannot serve as the venue anymore while Moscow has no suitable offers regarding venues at the moment," Mazepin stated.

In response to Mazepin’s statement Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev replied that the aforementioned championships could be hosted in the future at the aquatics center in the Russian Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

"The [Russian] Sports Ministry highly recommends to the Russian Aquatic Sports Federation to view the city of Yekaterinburg as a venue for the World and European championships, where luxury swimming pools have been built for the Universiade, which was later cancelled," Degtyarev stated.

2026 SPIEF

The 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is taking place on June 3-6 and is the 29th edition. This year, the event is held under the theme "Pragmatic Dialogue: the Path to a Stable Future." Saudi Arabia is the guest country at SPIEF. The forum program is dedicated to shaping a new model of global development amid the ongoing transformation of the world economy.

The program includes the SME Forum, the Creative Industries Forum, the Day of the Future International Youth Economic Forum, and the Ensuring Drug Security Forum. As part of the cultural program, the Petersburg Seasons festival and the traditional SPIEF Sports Games will take place. This year, Russia’s national economic development institution VEB.RF is the title partner of SPIEF.

The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its official general information partner.

World Aquatics’ previous ban on Russia, Belarus

In March 2022, World Aquatics (FINA until December 2022) ruled to bar Russia and Belarus from FINA’s upcoming international swimming competitions.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended international sports federations in late March 2023 to allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sports tournaments, but only under specific conditions.

Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.

On April 13, 2026, the world’s governing body of swimming sports, World Aquatics (formerly known as FINA), lifted all previously imposed sanctions against Russia and Belarus, allowing their athletes to compete again under the countries’ flags and to the tune of national anthems.

The international federation stated: "Senior athletes with Belarusian or Russian sport nationality will be permitted to compete in World Aquatics events in the same way as their counterparts representing other sport nationalities, with their respective uniforms, flags and anthems."