The preliminary list of sports for the 2023 European Games in Poland has been published with swimming noticeable by its absence.
Artistic swimming is set to make an appearance at the competition in Krakow-Małopolska in three years’ time but there will be no pool competition or diving. Neither will there be athletics or track cycling.
Swimming did make an appearance at the inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2015 where the event was restricted to junior swimmers with the competition doubling as the European Junior Championships.
Anton Chupkov: Photo Courtesy: Singapore Swimming Federation
Anton Chupkov and Luke Greenbank both set world junior records in the 100m breaststroke and 200m backstroke respectively.
Duncan Scott won the 100 and 200 freestyle double while Russia’s Polina Egorova came away with six gold medals in the 100 and 200 backstroke, 50 and 100 fly and the women’s 4x1oom freestyle and medley relays.
Russia topped the table with 23 golds, seven silvers and 12 bronze medals ahead of Great Britain with the Russian women winning 13 of the 20 events on the programme.
However, swimming did not feature at the last European Games in Minsk in 2019 and there will be no representation in Poland where the likes of mountain running, breaking and beach handball will be contested.
A delegation from Poland – including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Assets Jacek Sasin, Polish Minister of Sport Danuta Dmowska-Andrzejuk, Mayor of Kraków Jacek Majchrowski, and the Marshal of the Małopolska Region, Witold Kozłowski – visited the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in Rome in recent days.
Photo Courtesy: European Olympic Committees
The meeting was led by EOC Acting President Niels Nygaard and Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi and discussions included preparations for the Games, the proposed sports programme and potential opportunities for Poland, Krakow and the Małopolska Region.
In a statement on eurolympic.org, Nygaard said:
“It was a highly-productive meeting and we were very happy to see such a strong commitment from the Polish delegation.
“It was a great start, we have worked as a team and reached concrete results, setting a precise roadmap for the future. We look forward to continuing ahead in the same spirit.”
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Well that’s just dumb.