The International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has lifted the complete exclusion of Russian lugers by the world association FIL, thereby at least creating the conditions for a return to competition under a neutral flag.
However, three months before the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in 2026, questions remain unanswered and the timetable for a possible reintegration is uncertain. On Friday, the CAS rejected the request of six athletes for immediate admission to the competitions.
In response to SID’s request, the FIL announced that it recognized the decision and that the consequences would now have to be examined in detail. However, the CAS has not yet provided the reasons for the judgment; this must first be available. The Toboggan World Cup begins in Innsbruck-Igls at the beginning of December.
In its decision, the CAS did not lift the ban on Russian athletes at FIL events; only the admission of “neutral” athletes from Russia and Belarus, which was also recommended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), had to be granted. In principle, the FIL remains the responsible authority when deciding whether to participate: it is the responsibility of the world association to examine the applications for “neutral” status.
This requires, among other things, that the athletes do not publicly support the war of aggression against Ukraine and have no connections to the Russian military.
The CAS decision regarding the situation in luge could lead to Russian lawsuits against the international federations for skiing and snowboarding (FIS) and biathlon (IBU). Like the FIL, both exclude the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus as neutral athletes.