Milan-Cortina 2026 | Time plays against the Russians

(Lausanne) Always in the vagueness on their participation in the 2026 Olympic Games. Consequently, the Russians come up against the refusal of many winter federations to reintegrate them into their competitions, compromising their hopes of qualifying even under neutral flag. Moreover,

Posted at 12:09 p.m.

If athletes have. Moreover, according to the discipline, until January to meet the qualification criteria, their fate should be known before. Consequently, The new president of the International Olympic Committee. For example, the milan-cortina 2026 | time plays Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry said in late June that “it will be at the agenda of the Executive Commission in the coming months”, in September or December. Nevertheless,

By rushing to congratulate the new owner of world sport. Furthermore, from his election on March 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin had tried a clear pressure, praising the interest of the former swimmer “for the real promotion of the nobles ideal Olympic”. Similarly,

But so far “little has changed”, underlines with AFP Terrence Burns, former CIO marketing manager. Consequently, “Coventry is still in its infancy. However, She has the reputation of being a calm leader. Consequently, centered on athletes and endowed with a certain diplomatic sense, but she was also part of the circle near Bach. Nevertheless, Until now, his approach seems to be that of continuity, and not a radical milan-cortina 2026 | time plays change. »»

A major sports nation. Russia has been deprived of its colors for ten years in the Olympic arena: first due to the doping scandal orchestrated by the State, which earned it to compete under the Olympic flag (2018) then that of the Russian Olympic Committee (2021 and 2022).

Represent “all athletes” – Milan-cortina 2026 | time plays

And barely the Beijing closed winter Olympics. in February 2022, the Russian army invaded Ukraine with the support of Belarus, triggering a series of sports sanctions to the measure of Western indignation in the face of this invasion.

Russia. Belarus have been deprived of international competitions on their soil and their flags, hymns and officials have been banned from global sport since. As for athletes, they were first excluded “for their protection”, according to milan-cortina 2026 | time plays the IOC, before being gradually reinstated from March 2023.

For the Paris Olympics. the Olympic body had set so strict conditions – neutral flag, no team tests, lack of link with the army and the security services, lack of public support for the invasion of Ukraine, no parade on the Seine during the opening ceremony – that the delegation of “neutral individual athletes” turned out to be particularly discreet.

Of the fifteen Russians engaged under the green flag of the “Ain”. only tennis players Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider won the double ladies’ money, while the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) had brought 20 gold medals, 28 silver and 23 bronze of the Tokyo games in 2021.

As Coventry was part of the IOC executive which established this device. everything seems to indicate milan-cortina 2026 | time plays that less than a stop of the Ukrainian conflict, the same solution will be renewed from February 6 to 22, 2026 for the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina: Russians and Bélarusses should be invited to droppings and under neutral pavilion.

The obstacle of qualifications

“It is preferable for our movement to ensure that all athletes are represented. ” said Zimbabwean in March to the Sky News channel.

But while the IOC takes its time. several major winter federations have maintained a total exclusion from the Russians, starting with the International Ski Federation (FIS), whose disciplines represent more than half of the podiums of the Winter Olympics.

The International Federation of Biathlon (IBU) is on the same line. as is the world toboggy (thread), which organized an anonymous survey among milan-cortina 2026 | time plays its athletes revealing “their concerns in terms of security, Olympic quotas, compliance with anti -doping and equity regulations” in the event of Russian return.

The organization governing skating (ISU). on the other hand, opened a close path to qualification for the Olympic Games, but at the rate of a possible competitor by nation and by category, without relays or test by team.

The competitions will be turned upside down. whatever happens, in particular in figure skating, where the Russians, the most medalist nation in Olympic history, had placed at the Beijing Games in 2022 two tandems on the podium of the couple test, and won the gold and the money of the individual female test – marked by the disqualification for doping their young prodigy, Kamila Valieva.

“Coventry therefore has his hands milan-cortina 2026 | time plays somewhat linked, but it is his work to sail in this situation. Coordinate all sports. avoid contradictions, protect the integrity of games without alienating any block, this is where its leadership will be tested. This is his ability to lead in a context of division and ambiguity, ”sums up Terrence Burns.