Latest news with #Cortina
National Post
18 hours ago
- General
- National Post
Why you'll see individual Russian athletes at 2026 Winter Olympics, but no teams
Though some individual Russian athletes may be allowed to compete as neutrals at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, the country's hockey teams will be on the outside looking in at the action. Article content The Reuters news agency on Tuesday published a report stating the current ban on Russian teams will remain in place through the Milano Cortina 2026 men's and women's hockey tournaments, slated for February of next year. Article content Hockey action begins Feb. 4, the opening ceremonies will be held two days later, and the Games will run through Feb. 22, the date of the men's gold-medal game at what will be the newly built 16,000-seat Milano Santagiulia arena. Article content There was no official statement from either the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) on Tuesday; however, the Reuters report quoted an unnamed IOC official. Article content 'The recommendation of the IOC Executive Board from March 2023 regarding teams of athletes holding Russian passports remains in force. It is based on the premise that, by definition, a group of individual neutral athletes cannot be considered a team. We take note that the IIHF has confirmed it will follow this recommendation, which was made after consultations with the relevant International Federations and other stakeholders of the Olympic Movement.' Article content The IIHF had announced in February that the suspensions of Russian and Belarusian teams would continue through May 2026 and IIHF president Luc Tardif said during a press conference last weekend at the world hockey championship in Stockholm that the IOC would be making this decision. Article content Article content 'Recently they asked us to send them a schedule without Russia, so that's where we are,' Tardif said. 'The official statement is pending but the IOC has told us that they are informing the Russian Olympic Committee that they are not participating in the Olympics.' Article content Article content There are two spots open in each of the men's, women's and mixed doubles curling tournaments at Milano Cortina 2026, but it seems unlikely that Russian curling teams will be allowed to compete in qualifying events. Article content World Curling extended their ban through the 2024-25 season, citing Rule C1(b) which states that a team may be removed from any event if the World Curling board decides the team's presence would 'damage the event or put the safety of the participants or the good order of the event at risk.' Article content Competing under the banner of 'Russian Olympic Committee,' the men's team won gold at PyeongChang 2018. At Beijing 2022, they claimed silver as 'Team Olympic Athlete from Russia.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
IOC responds to Russian reports about Olympic ban being lifted ahead of 2026 Winter Games in Milan
Russian teams and athletes, including NHL stars like Alex Ovechkin, are still banned from the Olympics as a result of sanctions over Vladimir Putin 's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee clarified on Tuesday. The IOC was responding to reports out of Russia that hockey officials from the country had held talks with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) over Olympic participation. The organization responded Tuesday, seemingly eliminating any hope of Russian hockey stars competing at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. '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.' A small number of individual Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to take part in the Paris 2024 summer Olympics after rigorous vetting by the IOC. They competed without the Russian or Belarusian flag and anthem. Instead they took part as neutral athletes because all Russian teams were banned. Belarus has acted as a staging ground for the invasion. Four Russian figure skaters in men's and women's singles were recently approved by the International Skating Union to try to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics as neutral athletes. Russian hockey players won gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and silver four years later in Beijing. Ovechkin, the Russian-born Washington Capitals star and NHL's all-time leader in goals, had expressed a desire to play in a fourth Olympics next year at age 40. He previously played for Russia in 2006, 2010 and 2014. Ovechkin, a supporter of Putin, broke Wayne Gretzky's league record of 894 goals this season, but was barred with his countrymen from playing in the inaugural Four Nations mid-season tournament because Russia wasn't given a team. Instead Canada finished atop a tournament field that included the United States, Sweden and Finland. The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee in October 2023 for recognizing regional Olympic councils for Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine - Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. 'This [October 2023] recommendation was made after consultations with the International Federations concerned and the other Olympic Movement stakeholders,' the IOC said. 'This position reflects the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee because of its annexation of regional sports organizations on the territory of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.' 'Such action constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognized by the IOC in accordance with the Olympic Charter,' the Olympic body said.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
IOC reaffirms policy, closing door on Russia for 2026 Winter Olympics
Less than nine months before the start of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee has reaffirmed its policy barring Russian and Belarusian teams from participating. This means the Russian men's and women's hockey teams will not be allowed at next year's Games, ending any hope that Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's career leading goal scorer, will play in the Olympics.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
IOC to keep Russia out of 2026 Games: Reports
People walk near Olympic rings near the village of Anterselva where the Biathlon will take place during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, in northern Italy, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati) The president of the International Ice Hockey Federation told reporters that the International Olympic Committee plans to exclude Russia from the 2026 Winter Olympics. Luc Tardif was quoted Sunday by and on the topic of Russian participation in future events -- chiefly the next Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. 'The IOC is the organizer -- we only deal with the competition (the hockey tournaments) itself,' Tardif said. 'We have been pressuring them to make a decision, one way or another, because we're getting closer to the Olympics and we need to know.' 'Recently they asked us to send them a schedule without Russia, so that's where we are. The official statement is pending but the IOC has told us that they are informing the Russian Olympic Committee that they are not participating in the Olympics.' Russia was barred from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris following the country's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Individual athletes from the country were allowed to compete, but not under their country's flag. The official IOC announcement has yet to be made. Belarus, which is allied with Russia, is also expected to be kept out of the Olympics again. Russia hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and has won 46 gold medals across six Winter Games. The Soviet Union won 78 gold medals. The Winter Olympics begin in February, and much of the preparation is already underway. The men's and women's ice hockey teams have already been selected and divided into their groups for the competition, without Russia and Belarus. Field Level Media
Reuters
3 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
IIHF president: IOC to keep Russia out of 2026 Games
May 26 - The president of the International Ice Hockey Federation told reporters that the International Olympic Committee plans to exclude Russia from the 2026 Winter Olympics. Luc Tardif was quoted Sunday by and on the topic of Russian participation in future events -- chiefly the next Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. "The IOC is the organizer -- we only deal with the competition (the hockey tournaments) itself," Tardif said. "We have been pressuring them to make a decision, one way or another, because we're getting closer to the Olympics and we need to know." "Recently they asked us to send them a schedule without Russia, so that's where we are. The official statement is pending but the IOC has told us that they are informing the Russian Olympic Committee that they are not participating in the Olympics." Russia was barred from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris following the country's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Individual athletes from the country were allowed to compete, but not under their country's flag. The official IOC announcement has yet to be made. Belarus, which is allied with Russia, is also expected to be kept out of the Olympics again. Russia hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and has won 46 gold medals across six Winter Games. The Soviet Union won 78 gold medals. The Winter Olympics begin in February, and much of the preparation is already underway. The men's and women's ice hockey teams have already been selected and divided into their groups for the competition, without Russia and Belarus. --Field Level Media
