The world’s elite swimmers finally won yesterday the right to compete in non-FINA events, such as the team swimming events organized by competing league ISL (International Swimming
League) for August.
“This is a step in the right direction to free swimmers to compete more and earn more,” said Andrea di Nino, Managing Director of the ISL. “FINA’s capitulation comes in reaction to ISL’s and elite swimmers antitrust lawsuits that exposed FINA’s illegal threatened ban of swimmers who participate in ISL’s events”
FINA’s announcement today also proves the falsity of FINA’s prior denials that it had made such threats to the world’s elite swimmers and the national federations.
“We welcome FINA’s belated admission as well as FINA’s promised assurance that it will now cease such obviously unlawful conduct that hurts the very swimmers that FINA claims to represent,” said Konstantin Grigorishin, Head of Advisory Board and Financier of the ISL.
Yesterday’s implicit admission of guilt comes only after FINA illegally forced the cancellation of ISL’s Turin Event and after FINA then blatantly copied the ISL model in an obvious attempt to win over the elite swimming community FINA has long been exploiting.
“We look forward to FINA memorializing its newfound deference to the laws of the United States and of the European Union—and to the rights of the world’s swimmers and ISL—into an enforceable agreement. We are reaching out to FINA now to enter into such a binding agreement. If FINA truly means what it said, then FINA will readily cooperate,” said Konstantin Grigorishin.
Finally, FINA’s supposed change of heart still does not address the real financial harm FINA caused to swimmers and the ISL by forcing the cancellation of the Turin Event, and then copying the ISL’s team competition model in a further FINA effort to quash competition that benefits swimmers and fans alike.
Regardless of yesterday’s promise that it will behave correctly and legally in the future, FINA must agree to legally enforceable terms that assure a level competitive playing field and that atone for the wrongs FINA already committed.
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with the ISL. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.
