Six Polish swimmers have been sent home from the Tokyo Games because of an admin error, prompting an apology from the president of Poland’s swimming federation, Pawel Slominski.
The country sent 23 swimmers to Japan, but was forced to cut the squad down to 17 as per the qualifying rules.
Swimmer Alicja Tchorz, who competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, was one of those who found out in Tokyo that her name wasn’t on the list.
“I am sad, I am hurt, I am angry, I feel helpless. I cannot even describe what I feel. It is not like we only work two or three weeks to get ready for the Olympics, we work hard for several months or years, making sacrifices, putting training first before family life.”
Tchorz said the athletes were about to talk to lawyers and that legal action was likely.
Slominski said he fully understood the anger of the returning swimmers, and put the mistake down to a desire to allow as many athletes to take part as possible.
Asked on Polish television whether the swimming federation was afraid of being sued, Slominski said it would face that reality if it happened.