Russian skiers are contesting their ongoing exclusion from competitions in an effort to meet the requirements for the 2026 Winter Olympics, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s announcement on Thursday. A group comprising six skiers, six Para athletes, and the Russian ski federation has lodged an appeal against the recent decision made by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to prolong the comprehensive ban amid Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has not specified a schedule for a hearing in this expedited case, which arises just three months before the commencement of the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
The likelihood of another legal victory for Russia appeared to rise 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 the process of evaluating athletes for authorized neutral status. According to guidelines from the International Olympic Committee, neutral status can be granted in most Olympic sports to athletes who have refrained from endorsing the military action in Ukraine publicly and have no affiliations with military or state security entities. During the Paris Summer Games last year, certain Russian and Belarusian athletes competed without their national flag, anthem, and traditional team colors.