When Norway's swimming federation drew its line in the water this week, it did so with rare bluntness. Cato Bratbakk, president of the NSF, told Reuters that Norway will refuse to host any championships as long as Russian and Belarusian athletes are granted full access to international competitions — including the right to compete under their own flags and hear their national anthems played. The declaration puts Norway alongside Poland in a joint stand against a decision by World Aquatics, the sport's governing body, that has reignited fierce debate about the role of sport in geopolitical conflict. "Our position is clear," Bratbakk said. "We will not host any championships as long as Russian and Belarusian senior and junior competitors have full access, entry rights, and are permitted to use their flags and national anthems." Norway has never hosted the World Aquatics Championships and last co-hosted the European Aquatics Championships nearly four decades ago, in 1985 — a fact that gives the country's protest a certain weight, since it is positioning itself to miss an opportunity it has never yet seized. Bratbakk said Norway plans to meet with Nordic colleagues next week, hoping to build momentum against the governing body's decision. The move by World Aquatics echoed a similar call by the International Paralympic Committee, which admitted Russian and Belarusian athletes under their national flags at the recent Milan-Cortina Games. For now, the protest remains a two-country stance in a sport that spans the globe — but those behind it are counting on more nations to follow.