International Olympic Committee confirms Russian teams are still banned from 2026 Winter Games
Russia remains prohibited from participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. On Tuesday, the International Olympic Committee stated that Russia is still penalized over its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The IOC made their statement, via Reuters, following reports about participating in the games. The reports suggested that Russian hockey officials engaged in conversations with the International Ice Hockey Federation about next year's event.
"The IOC Executive Board recommendation from March 2023 with regard to teams of athletes with a Russian passport remains in place," the IOC said. "It is based on the fact that, by definition, a group of Individual Neutral Athletes cannot be considered a team. We take note that the IIHF has confirmed that it will follow this recommendation."
Russia's ban means their dominant ice hockey team will not be competing after impressive performances in recent Olympics. The Russian men bested Germany for the gold medal in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Four years later, they finished second to Finland in Beijing.
Russia's recent block comes after 15 Russian athletes played in the 2024 Summer Olympics under the Individual Neutral Athlete status. The athletes' participation underwent vetting by the IOC before they competed without the Russian flag and anthem.
Earlier this month, the International Skating Union approved four Russian skaters' participation in the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Seventeen-year-old national champion Adelia Petrosian is among the group that received the green light to compete as neutral athletes.
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