Brusnikina – about foreign participants in the Friendship Games: “The main invitation period will begin in February”

President of the Russian Synchronized Swimming Federation Olga Brusnikina in an interview with , she said that from next month the active phase of negotiations with the federations of other countries regarding participation in the Friendship Games will begin.

The BRICS Games will be held from June 12 to 23 in Kazan, the Friendship Games will be held from September 15 to 29 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg.

— What are the main Russian synchronized swimming competitions in 2024?

— Of course, for us, the two main starts that we are waiting for this year will be the BRICS Games and the Friendship Games. There is hope that this is where our team can show all its class.

— Do colleagues from other countries contact you? Are you looking for information on the Friendship Games? Are they interested in coming to Russia in September?

— Yes, there have been requests from a number of foreign teams interested in certain conditions for participation in these competitions. The main invitation period will begin a little later, in February. But we are already working with some teams. We explain that these departures will be very comfortable and interesting for the participants.

— Which countries are these?

— There have been calls from Asian countries, from Latin America. Some European countries also require it.

— Is the motivation also that the prize fund for the Friendship Games will be at the level of the Olympic Games?

— Of course, in addition, the organizing committee undertakes to compensate all expenses of all participants for their stay in Russia. In other words, the competition will not only be interesting, but also financially attractive. And we are interested in the competitiveness factor. Of course, the Russian national team needs exhaustion and achieving its goals,” Brusnikina told .

In January, the International Swimming Federation (World Aquatics) announced that Russian athletes would not participate in the February World Aquatics Championships, in Doha, from February 2 to 18.

The Russian synchronized swimming team will not be able to compete at the Paris Olympics (July 26 to August 11), since the rules for admission to international qualifying competitions, even in neutral status, imply participation only solo, and this is not the case. is not the case. a sort of Olympic program.