The IOC announced negotiations with federations on the admission of Russians to the 2026 Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is discussing with the winter sports federations the possibility of athletes from Russia and Belarus participating in the 2026 Olympic Games in Italy. This was announced on April 9 by the organization's athletic director, Keith McConnell, during a press conference following the results of the executive committee, which was broadcast on the organization's YouTube channel.

"Athletes should not be punished for the actions of their countries, and we adhere to the same position. We explain this to the winter federations by talking about the practices of the summer federations," he said.

According to McConnell, discussions are ongoing at the moment, but a decision has already been made on the participation of Russians and Belarusians in ski mountaineering, and it is also planned to resume participation in speed skating, figure skating and short track.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held from February 6 to 22 in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

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On March 7, Thomas Bach called on world sports federations to consider allowing Russians to participate in Olympic qualification tournaments. He noted that the mission of the Olympic Games is to unite the countries of the world.