By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) – Swimming’s global governing body FINA has called off the World Junior Swimming Championships that were set to take place in Kazan, Russia, in late August, in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
FINA said it had made the decision to cancel the biannual event after consulting athletes and stakeholders.
“FINA will not be holding any future events in Russia if this grave crisis continues,” the group added in a statement on Sunday.
The Switzerland-based FINA added that it would provide whatever practical support it could to members of the aquatics family impacted by Russia’s invasion, which began on Thursday and has met with swift condemnation from numerous sports governing bodies.
On Friday, FINA called off a men’s water polo World League match in St. Petersburg next month while an Artistic Swimming and Diving World Series event scheduled for April in Kazan was also cancelled.
Russia’s assault is the biggest on a European state since World War Two and threatens to upend the continent’s post-Cold War order.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; editing by Clare Fallon)
