April 21 (Reuters) - The Norwegian Swimming Federation will not host international championships as long as World Aquatics (WA) allows athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete, the country's governing body President Cato Bratbakk told Reuters.
The decision marks a deepening rift within the international swimming community after WA lifted neutrality restrictions last week.
"Our position is clear. We will not host any championships as long as Russian and Belarusian senior and junior competitors have full access, entry rights, and are permitted to use their flags and national anthems," Bratbakk said on Tuesday.
Russian and Belarusian athletes were permitted to compete in WA events with their respective uniforms, flags and anthems since April 14. The global governing body added that Russia and Belarus would resume full membership rights.
Competitors from Russia and Belarus were banned from international sporting events following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which was launched in part from Belarusian territory.
Norway is now seeking a broader regional boycott of hosting duties.
"We are scheduled to meet with Nordic colleagues next week, where we hope our position will create momentum against the decision made by World Aquatics," Bratbakk said.
The move follows a similar stance taken by Poland on Friday.
World Aquatics told Reuters in a statement later on Tuesday that it "remains determined to ensure that pools and open water remain places where athletes from all nations can come together in peaceful competition."
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk, additional reporting by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk in Warsaw, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Toby Davis)
