Russian skiers are contesting their ongoing exclusion from competitions in a bid to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics, as confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday. An appeal has been lodged by six skiers, six Para athletes, and the Russian ski federation against a recent ruling by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to prolong their complete ban amid the conflict with Ukraine. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has not specified a timeline for the upcoming hearing in this expedited case, occurring just three months prior to the commencement of the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
There appears to be a potential legal victory on the horizon for Russia following a recent decision by a separate panel of judges at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which upheld a challenge by Russian lugers. This ruling obliges the International Luge Federation to initiate a process for evaluating athletes for approved neutral status. According to the guidelines from the International Olympic Committee, 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. Notably, certain Russian and Belarusian athletes participated in the previous Paris Summer Games without their national symbols, anthem, or team colors.