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Poland Refuses to Host Russian and Belarusian Athletes at 2027 European Diving Championships
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![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
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Poland will not allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at the European Diving Championships scheduled for 2027, the Polish Swimming Federation announced, according to a report by Polskie Radio on April 17.
This decision comes in direct response to the recent move by World Aquatics to allow athletes from these countries to return to international competitions under their national flags.
The Polish federation emphasized that as long as the war against Ukraine continues, representatives of Russia and Belarus should not participate in any international tournaments.
At the same time, the Polish Swimming Federation noted that the country will not boycott other competitions featuring Russians or Belarusians, to avoid damaging the careers of its own athletes.
Allowing Russian athletes to compete in international sports under a “neutral” banner ignores the systemic ties many of these individuals have to the Russian military and its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In Russia, sport serves as a direct extension of state propaganda, with many top athletes holding active military ranks, drawing salaries from the Ministry of Defense, and participating in military-backed sports clubs like CSKA Moscow, according to Ukrainian Defense Intelligence (HUR).
Far from being impartial competitors, numerous Russian Olympians and parasports athletes are active service members—including officers who have directly participated in combat operations in Ukraine or who publicly fundraise for the Russian army. The Kremlin actively uses these athletes to “sportswash” its war crimes, leveraging their international presence to legitimize the occupation of Ukrainian territories and project state strength globally.
Providing a platform to individuals who actively endorse military aggression or serve in units responsible for atrocities directly contradicts the core values of peace and mutual respect that the international sporting community claims to uphold.
Poland’s refusal to host Russian divers reflects an widespread pushback against international federations attempting to normalize Moscow’s participation in global sports. While World Aquatics seeks to reintegrate Russian athletes, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recently took a harder line, ordering the Russian Chess Federation to cease all operations in occupied Ukrainian territories.
The CAS ruling recentrly overturned a lenient fine previously issued by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), establishing a strict legal precedent against legitimizing the occupation through sporting events.
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