“Chikunov is on the main list for the trip to the World Cup in Budapest, Efimov is not yet” – Salnikov

First Vice-President of the Russian Swimming Federation Vladimir Salnikov reported that the world record holder Evgenia Chikunova is included in the main list of the Russian national team, which the FVVSR submitted to the organizing committee of the World Short Course Swimming Championship.

The tournament will take place from December 10 to 15 in Budapest.

— Will Russian athletes participate in the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Budapest? Who are you in contact with?

— The event takes place in Hungary. These are therefore the federation and local services, as well as those responsible for the international World Aquatics federation. We interact with both. We are constantly in contact and discuss various issues. Today Sunday we discussed a more specific topic regarding the number of participants and various details – passports, for example.

I have to say that we are a little late with applications. Therefore, a proper list is being compiled, and we have added to it those that could potentially be included in the reserves.

— How many athletes does this represent?

— 35 people are on the main list, 17 others are in reserve. If someone falls off base, then an athlete may be relieved from reserve. We are now talking about everyone having to get a visa. This requires invitations. And they are issued according to the list that we submitted to the organizing committee. The final list will be approved on November 26, at the end of the Russian Championship.

— How long does it take to become a neutral athlete, issued by World Aquatics?

— I can’t tell you the exact number of days. But so far there is no indication that anything is wrong with the registration process.

—Are all our leaders on this list? Except Kliment Kolesnikov, who himself refused to go to Budapest.

— Leaders meet selection criteria based on “A” standards. And it is clear that our participation in the World Championship could not be planned in advance because the situation was evolving. Even today there is no guarantee that we will be in Budapest. It’s just a process. Athletes and coaches had hope, but we start from existing realities. I fully admit that many trainers did not have an eye on the World Championship.

— Is Evgenia Chikunova on the main list?

– Of course, yes. Of course. She is our leader.

— Is Yulia Efimova on the list?

– Not yet. She has not yet met the selection standards. If so, we will make a correction to the listing. Plus, our standards are even higher than standard “A” standards. But this is intended to ensure that leaders go to the World Championships, aiming to fight for medals, not just to reach the final.

— What is the status of double Olympic champion Evgeny Rylov?

“He had health problems that did not allow him to participate in the Russian Championship and he confidently declares that he would be in peak form for the World Championships. In other words, he will not be in Budapest.

— What are the chances that the Russian team will participate in the Long Course World Championships, which will take place in Singapore in July 2025?

“The likelihood of this happening has become much higher. The reconciliation efforts will continue. And I really hope that Singapore will be included in our planning for the new season, that the selection criteria will be clearly understood and that the preparation for the season will be different.

— Why were our sailors the first to break this wall of incomprehension in Russian sport? In hockey, everything is still muted.

— Our link with the international federation has never been interrupted. We have not slammed doors or closed communication channels. I am an active member of the office. Significant events in our country took place before the pandemic and isolation – these are the stages of the World Cups, the European Championships among youth and adults, and the full World Championships were planned in 2025. We n We have never stopped exchanging information; communication was still ongoing. Today, the dialogue has become intense again. For example, the World Complex Championship in the Masters category is under consideration.

— Will this take place in our country?

— I don’t want to name the year and the city. And let’s be careful with the wording! But I repeat that this option is being discussed,” Salnikov told .

Watch live broadcasts of the Russian Short Course Swimming Championship on and the holding’s channels, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.

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