No ban if Peaty joins rebel league

Adam Peaty will not face the threat of a ban from major competitions if he pursues his intention to compete in the rebel International Swimming League, the sport’s governing body FINA has confirmed.

Peaty and other leading swimmers have signalled their intention to join the new £10 million event and turn their backs on FINA’s rival Champions Swim Series, which reportedly offers a much smaller prize fund.

Having previously indicated that any swimmer who competes in the ISL could be barred from events including this year’s World Championships in South Korea, FINA officials have now back-tracked on the threat.

In a statement following a meeting in Lausanne, the governing body said that, while swimmers will not face sanction, any records will be unverified unless a competition has attained prior FINA approval.

“FINA acknowledges that swimmers are free to participate in competitions or events staged by independent organisers, namely entities which are neither members of FINA nor related to it in any way,” said the statement.

“But if an independent organiser does not obtain or does not request the above-mentioned approval, all results or records of such unapproved competition or event will be deemed null and void and ignored by FINA”.

Last month, Peaty had derided FINA’s launch of a rival competition as “embarrassing and offensive”.

He challenged the organisation, saying: “I don’t care – ban me if you’ve got to.”

Yesterday’s development appears to end the risk of future major competitions taking place without the sport’s top stars, with British Swimming, whose officials were a part of the Lausanne meeting, saying it “welcomes the clarifications”.