France, Britain and Russia to swim against the USA but why not include Germany, Italy, and the rest of Europe?

A meet between USA Swimming and the Ligue Europeenne de Natation (European League of Swimming) will take place next December yet the majority of Europe won't attend. Also what seems rather "pithy" is the comment that Italy is not invited.

Well, there goes a chance to see Federica Pellegrini swim against Katie Hoff or perhaps Dara Torres against Britta Steffen since Germany too is not on the list.

From Swim News:

President of French swimming, Francis Luyce, is reported in Gazzetta dello Sport as saying that the combined forces of France, Britain and Russia will take on the USA at a "dual" meet in the third week in December, immediately after what may be the last European s/c championships held in that month. Italy, the paper notes, is not invited.

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