Olympic swimmers who took on the governing body of swimming in a US court are on track to receive a substantial settlement for participants in a rebellious competition series. World Aquatics has announced a fund worth $4.6 million US that will be distributed among swimmers who had agreed to compete in the International Swimming League (ISL) event in Turin in 2018 and during the 2019 ISL season.
In 2018, three renowned swimmers – Katinka Hosszu from Hungary, and Americans Tom Shields and Michael Andrew – filed an antitrust lawsuit in California after the governing body, previously known as FINA, attempted to thwart the operation of the ISL beyond its jurisdiction. Notable Canadian Olympic medalists Penny Oleksiak, Kylie Masse, and Sydney Pickrem were among the numerous swimmers who participated in the series.
Initially, the governing body based in Lausanne had threatened to prohibit swimmers from taking part in the competition supported by Ukraine, which intended to offer higher prize money. The competition from the rival event led the governing body to enhance prize money for athletes in its own world championships and World Cup meetings.
“The settlement fund will ensure that swimmers are more than fairly compensated for their involvement in the 2018 and 2019 ISL seasons,” stated World Aquatics on Monday, expressing anticipation for the court’s approval of the settlement.
The ISL series was put on hold in 2022 due to repercussions from the Russian military intervention in Ukraine. World Aquatics’ president, Husain al Musallam, remarked that many swimmers who committed to the ISL “were greatly disappointed.” He further stated, “Nevertheless, I am pleased that we can now step in and offer this substantial amount of money to the swimmers.”
World Aquatics mentioned that a separate lawsuit by ISL “is still pending.”
