"If I have to sign such declaration, I will refuse" - Russian Olympic champion Evgeny Rylov refuses to sign political declaration for Paris 2024

Russian swimmer Evgeny Rylov has refused to sign any political declaration in order to participate at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The 26-year-old is prioritizing supporting his country in the Russia-Ukraine war rather than competing at the much-awaited event next year.

In 2022, Evgeny Rylov and other Russian and Belarusian swimmers were banned by World Aquatics over the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Rylov created further controversy after attending a rally in support of President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. That led to his ban from swimming events for nine months.

Evgeny Rylov at Tokyo Olympics 2021: Day 7

Now, with the Paris Games just a year away, the governing bodies have proposed the participation of Russian and Belarusian swimmers as neutral athletes. They would not be allowed to display their national flag, play national anthems, or give interviews. Only if Evgeny Rylov and other Russian swimmers approve these conditions will they be allowed to compete at the Olympics.

However, Evgeny Rylob said in a recent interview with Match TV that he will not sign any political declaration to compete at the Games.

“You can count on your fingers how many athletes meet these requirements," he said. "If necessary, everyone will go, but I only speak for myself: if I have to sign such a declaration, I will refuse. I don’t want to accept their conditions.”

"Even if we are obliged to compete under a neutral flag, which we have already done successfully, it is clear that we can achieve this," he added. "However, this whole thing has become a habit. There was a time when they thought that we had to go through this, but their impudence continues to grow."

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Evgeny Rylov’s swimming history

Evgeny Rylov at Tokyo Olympics 2021

Born on September 26, 1996, Rylov is considered one of the most promising upcoming swimmers. He was just 18 when he gave a stunning display of his swimming prowess by winning three golds and one silver at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics.

At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships, Rylov achieved a third-place finish and created a Russian record of time of 1:54.60 in the 200-metre backstroke. The following year, he carried his best form and won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Rylov then won gold in the 200m backstroke at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships and three gold medals at the following year’s world championships.

Finally, in his last Olympics in Tokyo, he won two gold medals, in the 100m and 200m backstroke races respectively.