Olympic swimmers who initiated legal action against the governing body of swimming in the United States are on track to receive a substantial settlement. The athletes involved in a rebel league are slated to benefit from a $4.6 million fund established by World Aquatics. This fund will be allocated to swimmers who participated in the International Swimming League (ISL) event in Turin in 2018 and during the 2019 ISL season, according to a statement released by the governing body on Monday.
In 2018, three prominent swimmers, including Olympic and world champions Katinka Hosszu from Hungary, and Americans Tom Shields and Michael Andrew, filed an antitrust lawsuit in California. This legal action was a response to the attempt by the governing body, then known as FINA, to obstruct the ISL from operating independently. Noteworthy Canadian Olympians such as Penny Oleksiak, Kylie Masse, and Sydney Pickrem were among the numerous swimmers who participated in the series.
Initially, the Lausanne-based governing body threatened to ban swimmers involved in the ISL, which sought to offer higher prize money. The emergence of this rival event compelled the governing body to enhance prize money for athletes competing in its own world championships and World Cup meetings. World Aquatics announced on Monday that the settlement fund will ensure that swimmers are more than adequately compensated for their involvement in the 2018 and 2019 ISL seasons. The governing body expressed its anticipation for the court’s approval of the settlement.
The ISL series was halted in 2022 due to the repercussions of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine. President Husain al Musallam of World Aquatics acknowledged that many swimmers who committed to the ISL felt betrayed but emphasized the satisfaction of being able to provide a substantial sum to support the athletes. World Aquatics disclosed that a separate lawsuit by ISL is still pending.