Why Russian Teams Will Not Participate in the 2026 Olympic Games

Russian sports teams, including the national ice hockey team, will not be able to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games set to be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. This was announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

It was noted that the relevant ban, which has been implemented due to the war in Ukraine, remains in effect. The reason for the IOC's announcement was reports published in Russian media concerning the possible participation of the Russian national ice hockey team in the Olympic Games, discussed between representatives of the Russian Hockey Federation and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).

According to Reuters, the IOC stated, “The decision made by the IOC Executive Board in March 2023 regarding teams with athletes holding Russian passports remains in effect. This decision is based on the fact that a group of individual competitors with neutral status cannot, by definition, be considered a team.”

After thorough examination by the IOC, several athletes from Russia and Belarus were allowed to participate with neutral status, without national attributes, in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.