"Swimmers were badly let down"- World Aquatics president reacts as governing body set to pay $4.5 million to swimmers in settlement

World Aquatics president Husain Al-Musallam reacted to the governing body's announcement of a $4.6 million settlement with professional swimmers who filed an antitrust lawsuit against it for attempting to unlawfully ban athletes from competing in International Swimming League (ISL) events in 2018 and 2019. The settlement covers qualified athletes who signed contracts with the ISL during those years.

Hungarian Katinka Hosszu, the three-time Olympic and nine-time long-course World champion, and American swimmers Tom Shields and Michael Andrew, filed the lawsuit against World Aquatics, then known as Fédération Internationale de Natation, in 2018. As per their claims, the governing body blocked their payments and also threatened to revoke their eligibility for competitions like the World Championships.

Several swimmers like Penny Oleksiak, Kylie Masse, and Sydney Pickrem competed in the series that ISL hosted beyond FINA's control. The ISL series that led to the drama to unfold was paused after the Russian military invaded Ukraine in 2022.

After the announcement of the multi-million-dollar settlement, President Husain Al-Musallam said he was displeased with how the swimmers had been let down but expressed relief that World Aquatics will finally be able to compensate them.

"The swimmers were badly let down. However, I am pleased that we are finally able to step in and provide this significant sum of money for the swimmers."

In a statement on Monday, the administrative body said:

"World Aquatics is setting up a fund of $4.6 million US that will be distributed to swimmers who signed contracts to compete at the International Swimming League (ISL) event in Turin in 2018 and in the 2019 ISL season. The settlement fund will ensure swimmers are more than fully compensated following the 2018 and 2019 ISL seasons."

The court's approval hasn't yet come, as confirmed by World Aquatics.

How will the amount be distributed among athletes by the World Aquatics?

The full roster of the canceled events has not been released yet, but the swimmers will likely get an equal share of the multi-million-dollar compensation pool. A total of 251 swimmers recorded at least 1 point in the 2019 events, but the frontrunners who filed the lawsuit, Hosszu, Shields, and Andrew, will probably bag a bigger share.

In September 2024, after a green signal from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the antitrust cases against World Aquatics were allowed to proceed. However, the swimmers faced a roadblock when a lower court favored World Aquatics in 2023, prompting them to take action to reverse the ruling.