With 50 days to go for the Opening of the 18th FINA World Championships in Gwangju (KOR), FINA and the Organising Committee of the competition held today a Press Conference in the City Hall of the Korean metropolis, in order to underline the importance of DPR Korea (PRK) presence in the FINA showcase.

Up to now, athletes from PRK haven’t registered for the Championships and the Gwangju authorities, together with FINA, have issued a joint declaration (see full text at the bottom of the text) asking for the country to reconsider their position.

FINA Executive Director Cornel Marculescu briefed the media on the present situation: “At this stage, we don’t have a final decision on DPR Korea participation. We continue working with DPR Korea and all other National Federations to ensure their participation in Gwangju and consequent possibility of qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Moreover, their attendance also gives our members access to our Development Programme tools. We have a normal relation with DPR Korea National Federation, and some of its divers were present in the last leg of the Diving World Series, some days ago in London. All channels remain open on this issue.”

Mr Marculescu then recalled that there is an official deadline for registration, but FINA keeps exchanging correspondence with National Federations to guarantee their presence in the FINA showcase. “This is an ongoing process, and we are confident that over 190 nations will be present in Gwangju,” he concluded.

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