Sweden will allow Ukrainian refugees to compete in national championships
The Swedish Swimming Federation has announced details of its national championship meeting in June, including an important rule change in light of the war in Ukraine.
The championships take place June 17-19, 2022 at Eriksdalsbadet in Stockholm. The meeting is arranged in collaboration with the Stockholm Police IF Swimming Association.
The meeting will not include the 13 athletes who are planned to compete in the water sports world championships that begin in the middle of the meeting on June 18 in Budapest. However, the meeting will include Ukrainian refugees who have fled the war in their homeland after Russia invaded in February.
Ukrainian athletes, like their compatriots, have been scattered around Europe, including Sweden.
While Sweden normally requires an athlete to either be a Swedish citizen or be registered in Sweden for at least three months, the board of the Swedish Swimming Association has made an exception. Refugees who have been granted a residence permit under the Government Mass Refugee Directive will be exempted from the residence requirement to participate in the championships.
Swedish media estimated last week that more than 36,000 Ukrainians had applied for refugee status in Sweden. The UN estimates that at least 6 million people, about 14% of the country’s population, have fled since Russia began its invasion of the country in February. More than half of these are in Poland – about twice the size of the country’s largest city, Warsaw.
More information if the Swedish Championships are here.