The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially confirmed that all Russian national teams, including hockey, will not be accepted for the 2026 Olympic Games. Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Kortin (Italy) will be held from February 6 to February 22.
Thus, the IOC answered messages from Russia about negotiations between local hockey officials with the International Hockey Federation (IIHF) regarding possible participation in the Olympics.
“The recommendation of the Executive Committee of the IOC of March 2023 on teams consisting of athletes with Russian passports remains valid,” the committee emphasized. “This (recommendation) is based on the fact that a group of individual neutral athletes cannot be considered a team. We note that IIHF confirmed this recommendation. ”
A small number of Russian and Belarusian athletes allowed to perform at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris 2024 after a thorough check. They participated in a neutral status – without a flag and anthem. All Russian teams were excluded.
Russian hockey players won gold at the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang and silver in Beijing in 2022.
The IOC rejected the Russian Olympic Committee in October 2023 for recognizing regional councils in the occupied territories of Ukraine – in Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporozhye.
“This decision was made after consulting with the relevant international federations and other members of the Olympic movement,” said the IOC. “It reflects the suspension of the status of OKR through an annexation of regional sports structures in the territory of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.”
“Such actions violate the Olympic Charter, since they encroach on the territorial integrity of the Ukrainian NOC, recognized by the IOC in accordance with this Charter,” the committee added.
The IIHF Council in the spring of 2022 withdrawn national teams of Russia and Belarus from international competitions during an indefinite period from a complete invasion of Ukraine. In February 2024, the organization continued sanctions for the 201024/25 season.
After that, two -time Olympic champion Vyacheslav Fetisova attacked images on the leaders of IIHF and her president Luke Tardif.
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Source: Obozrevatel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
