Russian athletes excluded from luge at 2026 Winter Olympics by the sport's governing body
TAMPERE, Finland (AP) — Russian luge athletes are excluded from competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics even as individuals with neutral status, the sport's governing body decided Wednesday.
The International Luge Federation (FIL) voted to uphold its ban on Russians from international events imposed since 2022 during the military invasion of Ukraine.
Athletes cited concerns about 'safety, Olympic quotas, anti-doping compliance, and fairness' when consulted by the governing body ahead of the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Games that open Feb. 6.
'With this decision, the FIL reaffirms its commitment to integrity, safety, and solidarity in international sport,' it said.
The Russian team had 10 lugers compete at the 2022 Beijing Olympics — which closed four days before the full military attack on Ukraine — and won one bronze medal, by Tatyana Ivanova in women's singles.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Russia and its military ally Belarus were excluded from team sports though athletes in individual sports could apply for neutral status to compete. A total of 32 accepted invitations from the International Olympic Committee after passing eligibility tests that included not publicly supporting the war and not having ties to military and state security agencies.
Two votes were held Wednesday at the FIL Congress: A 24 votes to seven decision to renew the exclusion of Russians and a 24-8 vote against creating a neutral athlete program for Russians.
'This outcome reflects our collective responsibility to uphold fair and safe competition,' FIL President Einars Fogelis said in a statement. 'We fully respect the diversity of views within our community, especially from our athletes.'
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics
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