Russian skiers are contesting their ongoing exclusion from competitions as they seek to meet the requirements for the 2026 Winter Olympics qualification, as per the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s announcement on Thursday. Six skiers, alongside six Para athletes and the Russian ski federation, have lodged an appeal against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation’s recent decision to prolong their comprehensive prohibition amid the nation’s conflict in Ukraine. The Court of Arbitration for Sport did not specify a schedule for a hearing in this expedited case occurring three months before the commencement of the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
The likelihood of Russia securing another legal victory appeared to rise last week following a ruling by a separate panel of judges at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which upheld a plea by Russian lugers mandating the International Luge Federation to initiate the process of evaluating athletes for authorized neutral status. Neutral status eligibility is applicable in most Olympic sports in accordance with the International Olympic Committee guidelines for athletes who have refrained from endorsing the military intervention in Ukraine publicly and have no affiliations with military or state security entities. Notably, certain Russian and Belarusian athletes participated in the Paris Summer Games last year without their national flag, anthem, or team colors.
