International Ice Swimming Association Official Statement on the Invasion of Ukraine
The roots of the International Ice Swimming Association (IISA) go deep in Russia. Not only were the IISA 3rd World Championship held in Murmansk, Russia to great acclaim and set the standard for future IISA competitions, but also many great ice swims in history have been attempted completed all over the country including in Siberia by ice swimming greats from Henri Kaarma to Andrei Stoyev and Alexander Brylin.
Additionally, Russian swimmers, coaches, physicians, and events in the ice swimming world have been long acclaimed and their accomplishments have long set the lofty standards in the sport:
- Kosatka DV, led by Oleg Dokuchaev of Russia, was selected as the 2020 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year
- The World Ice Swimming Championships in Murmansk was selected as the 2015 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year
- Nataliya Fatyanova, M.D. of Russia was selected as the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year
- The 6-day 86 km Bering Strait Swim from Cape Dezhnev in Chukotka, Russia, to Cape Prince of Wales in Alaska, USA was unprecedented.
But the International Ice Swimming Association issued an official statement on the recent invasion of Ukraine:
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Belarus involvement and the escalation of the situation, the IISA Board has met and decided to take a firm stance as an international sport.
The IISA as the Ice Swimming sport federation, endeavours to separate politics and sport. However, there are times when one is required to take a stance regardless. Russian and their swimmers have played a pivotal role in the evolution of Ice Swimming and IISA. For that, IISA and its swimmers around the world are alway grateful, and we hope to continue our long-term friendships.
However, as an International Sport, we condemn Russia’s acts of violence in Ukraine and Belarus involvement. Please STOP!
IISA will not sanction any IISA events in Russia or Belarus until further notice. Russian and Belarussian swimmers participating in any IISA international events will not be allowed to display the Russian flag, the national anthem or represent their country. They will be allowed to participate as neutral athletes.
We extend our thoughts to Ukraine and its people, and we hope to see the end of this violence soon and unite our swimmers around the world, in the ICE.
Be safe and see you in the ICE soon.
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