The 62-year-old four-times Olympic champion, known as the "Tsar of the Pool", told Russia's official state news agency TASS that a suspension on the country's swimmers is unlikely to be lifted in time. 

"The International Federation has extended the restrictions imposed last year on the participation of our athletes in its events." Salnikov said. 

World Aquatics has currently maintained the ban it imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes last March in the wake of Vladimir Putin's Ukraine invasion, although announced last Wednesday (April 5) that it was creating a task force to explore their possible return as neutrals.

The group was to begin its work "immediately" with a recommendation - likely to be offering a route back - due to be presented to the World Aquatics Bureau.

The Bureau will not hear a report until its meeting in July, and with the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka due to take place between July 14 and 30 there would be insufficient time for Russian athletes to be prepared in the event of an opportunity to compete.

At the re-arranged 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Russian swimmers won five medals, including two gold, both won by Evgeny Rylov in the men's 100 and 200 metres backstroke.

There was also a silver for Kliment Kolesnikov in the men's 100m backstroke and the men's 4x200m freestyle, which included Rylov.

Kolesnikov completed Russia's haul with a bronze in the 100m freestyle. 

The World Aquatics Championships is due feature 75 sets of awards in swimming, open water swimming, synchronised swimming, diving, high diving and water polo.