Neutral Athletes are not limited to individual events anymore, but can now participate in numerous team events across most World Aquatics discipline under updated guidelines effective from 18 November, 2024.

World Aquatics’s ruling bureau has updated competition rules that will let athletes from Russia and Belarus now form swimming relays, synchronized diving pairs, and participate in artistic swimming duets and teams at World Aquatics events.

The proposed policy affects any athlete from a “nation in conflict”—which is determined solely by the World Aquatics Executive—who wishes to participate in any World Aquatics event. At this time, only Russia and Belarus are considered “nation in conflict”.

Athletes must still meet specific criteria, including not supporting the war in Ukraine, to receive the neutral status.

Previously, athletes from Russia and Belarus were allowed to apply to compete as neutral athletes in individual events only since September 2023.

These new guidelines point to a potential return in 2025 of Russian and Belarusian athletes, albeit under a neutral status, in the duet, mixed duet and team events for the first time since the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.

You can find the full document here.

Adios Nuria

34-year-old Nuria Diosdado of Mexico has announced her retirement in a video titled “Letter to Artistic Swimming.”

Diosdado had become a figure of artistic swimming and the face of the Mexican squad after over 18 years on the senior national team and an outstanding career: Four Olympic Games, nine World Championships, five Pan American Games, 19 medals at the Central and Caribbean Games, and nearly 13 medals in World Series and World Cup events.

“I thank myself for having stuck it out, for having dedicated myself to artistic swimming, for knowing that I gave it my all, that I was always with a smile in the water, that I enjoyed it and that I feel completely fulfilled. I felt in overtime for many years, everything was like a gift. Every year it was so much more. I thank Nuria for always following her intuition, because something told me that something was missing and that was the story in Paris.”

“After Paris I knew that I had reached my peak and I believe that the best thing an athlete can feel is to be at the top. I feel grateful for the years I spent building, training, competing and I also feel ready to pass the baton. There is much more to come and this is just the beginning.”

New duet for Germany

Two-time vice-European Champion Klara Bleyer of Germany has a new duet partner in Amélie Blumenthal Haz.

Following Blumenthal Haz’s move to the FS Bochum club, the two started working together with the goal of making it to LA 2028. They recently had a training camp with choreographer Olga Pylypchuk, while Bleyer also continued to work with Spanish Olympian Ona Carbonell for her solos.

16-year-old Blumenthal Haz is one of Germany’s brightest up-and-coming talents, coming up the ranks and making her way to the senior squad in record time. In 2023, she won European Championship silver with the German team, and a year later, won the European championship title in the acrobatic team routine.

Before LA 2028, they will first have to assert themselves amongst other potential pairs. National coach Stephanie Marx indeed emphasized that no decision will be made before 2026 as to who will try to represent Germany in the Olympic Games.

New apnea record

Life after artistic swimming can mean breaking new records for some.

Ukraine‘s Kateryna Sadurska has set a new women’s freediving World Record, diving to 82m/269ft in the Constant Weight No Fins (CNF) category. This is the sixth time she has broken the world record this year.

Sadurska placed fourth at the Rio Olympic Games with the Ukrainian artistic swimming team. She is also a three-time World medalist and nine-time European medalist, including two gold.

Calendar Updates

The artistic swimming World Cup schedule for 2025 has been announced.

ARTICLE BY CHRISTINA MARMET

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