Russian skiers are contesting their ongoing exclusion from competitions in their bid to secure a spot at the 2026 Winter Olympics, according to an announcement by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday. A group comprising six skiers, six Para athletes, and the Russian ski federation has lodged an appeal against a recent ruling by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to prolong their overall ban amid Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has not specified a timeline for the hearing in this expedited case, which is set to take place three months prior to the commencement of the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February. The likelihood of a favorable outcome for Russia received a boost last week when a separate panel of judges at the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a challenge by Russian lugers, compelling the International Luge Federation to initiate a process to evaluate athletes for authorized neutral status.
Under International Olympic Committee guidelines, neutral status can be granted in most Olympic sports to athletes who have refrained from publicly endorsing the military intervention in Ukraine and have no affiliations with military or state security entities. At the previous Summer Games in Paris, certain Russian and Belarusian athletes participated without their national flag, anthem, or team colors.
