Peskov urged to work on returning Russian athletes to the world stage

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday, December 21, that national sports federations should continue to work on returning Russian athletes to world competitions.

"We need to keep working, and it is a great duty of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and federations to keep working further. Because the lineup of athletes who can take part is severely limited, substitutions are impossible," TASS quoted him as saying.

The press secretary of the Russian President emphasized the need for a speedy return of Russian athletes to international competitions in order not to miss time for athletes, especially young ones, who may end their careers before they have time to prove themselves on the world stage.

On the eve it became known that the International Skating Union (ISU) allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in qualifying for the Olympic Games 2026 in Italy in a neutral status. It was specified that the decision applies to competitions in speed skating, figure skating and short track speed skating. At the same time, Russian figure skaters will not be allowed to participate in the team tournament.

Commenting on this, Russian Sports Minister and ROC President Mikhail Degtyarev said that such a decision is a significant breakthrough, bringing closer to a full return to the international sports arena. He added that even such admission is much better than complete isolation of athletes, noting that the work to return Russian athletes to the international arena will continue.