6 Polish Swimmers Sent Home From Tokyo Olympics Due To Administrative Blunder, Athletes: Our Dreams Have Been Taken

Illustration (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Six Polish swimmers have been sent home from the Tokyo Olympics. This was due to an administrative error by the Polish Swimming Federation (PZP).

"I wish to express my deep regret, sadness and bitterness over this situation," said PZP director Pawel Slominski in a statement released from cnn.com, Wednesday, July 21.

Alicja Tchórz, Aleksandra Polańska, Mateusz Chowaniec, Dominika Kossakowska, Jan Hołub and Bartosz Piszczorowicz, who were forced to return from Tokyo, called on the entire board of the organization to immediately resign over the incident in an open letter addressed to PZP director Slominski.

The open letter issued Sunday was signed by 16 other Polish swimmers and accused the PZP of not understanding the FINA rules.

"Recent incidents have shattered trust," said the Polish swimmer, who returned home on Sunday, in an open letter.

"Some of us had to return to Poland due to negligence, and our dreams of becoming Olympians have been taken from us."

"The Association's actions led to an unprecedented event in the history of Polish sport," the letter read.

"In addition, Polish swimming - both in the public eye and in potential sponsors - has been exposed as a laughing stock, and it will have a striking effect on all competitors competing in white and red on a daily basis."

Poland's Ministry of Culture and Sports urged the PZP president to immediately provide an explanation for the incident, according to a statement published by the government agency on Monday.

The ministry will analyze, while the consequences will come after the Olympics, the statement said.

With the return of 6 swimmers, the Polish team leaves 17 members who will take part in the Tokyo Olympics.