European Aquatics President Antonio Silva and Vice President Erkan Yalçın paid an official visit to Kyiv.
During the visit, the representatives of the European governing body for aquatic sports met with Ukrainian athletes, coaches, and federation officials.
At the Liko Sportlife Olimpiyskyi Centre, Antonio Silva and Erkan Yalçın observed the training conditions of Ukraine’s athletes. They met with Marta Fiedina, State Coach of the Ukrainian Artistic Swimming National Team and Olympic medallist; Anna Sorokina, Vice President of the Ukrainian Diving Federation, Chair of the European Aquatics Technical Diving Committee, and Olympic medallist; as well as Volodymyr Volkovynskyi, First Vice President of the Federation.
“I am grateful for the invitation. I remain in regular contact with your President, Igor Lysov, and we have plans to bring the European Diving Championships back to Kyiv. However, this will only be possible once we can guarantee the safety of all participants. It is important for us that Ukrainian athletes continue to compete internationally, as this is the best opportunity to represent their country before the global sporting community. We greatly value your high standards and are confident that you will proudly represent both Ukraine and Europe at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” said Antonio Silva.
The European Aquatics President also confirmed that Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete under neutral status at the European Aquatics Championships, which will take place in Paris this summer.
The visit by the European Aquatics leadership served as an important demonstration of support for Ukrainian athletes, coaches, and the entire sporting community, which continues to train and represent Ukraine on the international stage despite the ongoing challenges of the war.