The ISL remarked in a press statement that their stance on the participation of athletes in the ISL is very clear: “any swimmer with a previous disqualification for breaking anti-doping rules is not allowed to be part of any ISL club roster.”
As a result, the ISL will continue to allow athletes from Russia to compete in the ISL if they do not have a previous doping ban. The Russian athletes that are currently competing in the league are free to continue competing, which includes the forthcoming ISL grand finale in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The ISL noted that they will not ban Russian athletes that are clean, solely due to their nationality. The swimmers that are competing in the ISL are individuals and they are not a representation of countries.
Most impressive about the ISL is that it is an independent commercial organization that works independently of governing bodies, as well as the Olympic Movement, and the International Federations and National Federations.
It bears to mention that the ISL respects the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and it follows all anti-doping procedures accordingly. The ISL works closely with relevant national anti-doping authorities in the countries that they organize their matches.
Every athlete that is competing at ISL matches is subject to in-competition testing according to already established doping control rules. All swimmers need to give their consent to be tested during the ISL competitions, otherwise, they will not be allowed to compete.
To learn more about the International Swimming League, check out its official homepage.
