OREANDA-NEWS   French swimmer Damien Joly was delighted with the return of the Russians to international tournaments. His words are transmitted by Match TV.

Joly shared that he imagines how glad Kirill Martynychev is to return, with whom they performed together at many competitions. "He is a very fast guy, one of the fastest swimmers in Russia, as far as I know. I am very glad that I have one more cool opponent," the Frenchman stressed.

The World Short Course Swimming Championships are taking place in Budapest (Hungary) from December 10 to 15. Russians take part in the tournament in a neutral status.

In November, World Aquatics relaxed the criteria for admission to competitions for Russians. Russian athletes will now be able to compete at international synchronized swimming tournaments, as well as in group disciplines in swimming and diving. Restrictions on individual starts have also been lifted in swimming.