Today, Natalya Ishchenko, who is the sports minister of the Kaliningrad region, won five Olympic gold medals in her career.
Natalia Ishchenko’s (right) and Svetlana Romašina’s (left) Olympic gold medal in pairs swimming was celebrated in the Kremlin with Vladimir Putin in 2016. EPA / AOP
Russian former Olympic swimmer Natalya Ishchenko has been added to the gallery of honor of Fina, the international swimming sports federation, on Saturday. Ishchenko received his honor alongside 12 other former top swimmers.
On the same occasion, the most successful Olympic athlete of all time, a 23-time Olympic champion, was added to the gallery of honor Michael Phelpsand won 55 medals in the Paralympics Trisha Zorn. The event was held on Saturday evening in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The 37-year-old Ishchenko, who ended his career in 2017, won five Olympic golds and 19 world championships in his career. Today, he works in Russia as the sports minister of the Kaliningrad region.
Russian and Belarusian swimming athletes were sidelined from international swimming competitions since March last year because of the war in Ukraine. In September, Fina opened its doors again to Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutral athletes, i.e. without national emblems.
Finland and the other Nordic countries opposed Fina’s decision. In the joint sports organizations of the Nordic countries in taking a stand it is said that the time is not right for the return of the Russians.