International Ice Hockey Federation declined Russia's participation in the Olympics
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has knocked Russia out of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, according to RIA Novosti. The IIHF's decision comes after a request from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in March 2023 to form teams for the men's and women's ice hockey tournaments without the inclusion of the Russian team.
This ban isn't a new development for the Russian ice hockey crew. They've been sitting this one out since 2022, with the suspensions extending into the next season in February. Not long after, in May, the IOC called upon the IIHF to shape the groups without the participation of the Russian team.
In response, the Russian Olympic Committee declared on May 27 that they're exploring legal avenues to challenge the IOC's actions against the exclusion of Russian ice hockey players. This move comes as no surprise, given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the international sports sanctions against Russia.
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(Enrichment Data: The ban on the Russian national ice hockey team from the 2026 Winter Olympics is primarily due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the IOC's sanctions. The IOC, following the escalation of the conflict in 2022, prohibited Russian and Belarusian teams from participating in international competitions under their national flags. While some athletes are allowed to compete under a neutral flag after passing a vetting process, teams composed of athletes with Russian passports are not permitted to participate as a team, as this would be considered a national representation. This decision by international sports governing bodies is seen as a violation of the Olympic Charter's principle of keeping politics out of sports.)
The Russian ice hockey team was already barred from participating in the 2022 season due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a ban that now extends into the 2026 Winter Olympics. Despite this, the Russian Olympic Committee has announced intentions to challenge the International Olympic Committee's actions in court, citing the ongoing international sports sanctions against Russia.
