World Aquatics to Pay $4.6 Million Settlement to Independent League Swimmers

The global governing body, World Aquatics, has declared a resolution to pay $4.6 million in a settlement to athletes who participated in the International Swimming League (ISL), which World Aquatics had previously tried to obstruct. This settlement, highlighted by Front Office Sports, arises from a class-action lawsuit and ensures that athletes under contracts with the ISL during its initial seasons in 2018 and 2019 are entitled to this compensation.

Sports antitrust attorney Jeffrey Kessler expressed that this outcome is a major success for professional swimmers and the sport itself. He acknowledges the determination of swimmers Thomas Shields and Katinka Hosszu, along with the new management of World Aquatics, which has now granted hundreds of swimmers the opportunity to participate in events without the anxiety of being penalized for competing in the ISL.

The lawsuit had its origins in December 2018 when professional swimmers, including Hosszu, Michael Andrew, and Shields, filed an antitrust case in federal court. They alleged that the organization, then known as the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA), unlawfully limited competition by threatening athletes' eligibility for prestigious competitions like the world championships if they chose to participate in ISL events. The ISL itself operated for three seasons from 2019 until 2021, backed by Ukrainian entrepreneur Konstantin Grigorishin, but its funding was cut off due to the geopolitical situation following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, leading to the postponement of its 2022 season with no subsequent returns.