Editorial Coverage Sponsored By FINIS
An administrative error from swimming’s governing body FINA has cost former Alabama swimmer and Greek national swimmer, Kristel Vourna, a trip to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. A talented butterflyer, holding the national record for Greece in both the wmen’s 50-meter and 100-meter butterfly, Vourna was invited to the Games after posting what is considered a “B” cut standard time.
Vourna competed for her home country Greece at the 2012 London Olympic Games in the 100-meter butterfly where she finished 12th overall. The 24-year-old received a formal invitation from FINA on July 6th to compete at her second Olympic Games just to have the invitation retracted eight days later with a statement that she was “actually not qualified and that it was a FINA mistake that had originally led to the invitation.”
After realizing their error FINA issued an apology and invited Vourna to attend the Olympic Games…as a tourist. The angered Olympian responded bitterly, stating, “Unfortunately people’s mistakes are always paid by other people.”
Dimitris Diathesopoulos, head of the Greek federation and a member of FINA’s bureau, sent waves of anger at FINA noting that “an athlete’s biggest dream is to take part in the Olympic Games. No one can retract such a thing. It is unforgivable and it can ruin the soul and the vision of an athlete.”
The full article from Ekathimerini.com can be found here.
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What’s one more swimmer. Let her go!!
So they let cheaters go to Rio but draw the line with this poor girl. This is so wrong.
FINA destroying dreams along with their credibility
the resilience and percevierence that it takes to become an olympic swimmer, will help Kristel come out of this devastating time with more determination to break more recored and show the world what she is made of.
My heart and prayers go towards you Kristel , and my soul believes in your ability to win, maybe not 2016 but many more to come.
Missing an o in the third line…in womens.
-5 (spelling)
Why?
Unacceptable ! FINA has to undertake their mistake. In sport we call that fair-play !
Another example of FINA needing to be restructured. Corrupt.
Absolutely unacceptable!!! They should let her participate! Olympic Games is all athletes dream…. How can they destroy this dream!!!!
Would be different if it were for an age grouper etc… But she IS an Olympian!
This is really rotten
Big Book for FINA.
How stupid can this be? They made a mistake, they should have said nothing and go with it.
Sorry Kristel!