Russian skiers are contesting their ongoing exclusion from competitions as they seek to secure a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced on Thursday. A group consisting of six skiers, six Para athletes, and the Russian ski federation has lodged an appeal against a ruling made by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation last month, which extended the ban in light of the country’s conflict with Ukraine. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has not specified a timeline for a hearing in this expedited case, scheduled just three months prior to the commencement of the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
There appears to be a growing possibility of a favorable legal outcome for Russia following a recent decision by a separate panel of judges at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The previous ruling favored Russian lugers, compelling the International Luge Federation to initiate a process to assess athletes for authorized neutral status. This neutral status is typically granted in most Olympic sports, as per guidelines established by the International Olympic Committee, for athletes who have refrained from openly supporting the military actions in Ukraine and do not have affiliations with military or state security entities.
In a similar vein, some Russian and Belarusian athletes participated in the Paris Summer Games last year without displaying their national flag, anthem, or team colors.