CAS allowed Russian luge athletes to compete in a neutral status

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has allowed Russian luge skiers to participate in international competitions in a neutral status. This was announced on October 31 by the CAS press service.

It is noted that the judges listened to the arguments of the FIL (International Luge Federation) that the participation of athletes from the Russian Federation could allegedly increase the risk of incidents in society or on the part of other athletes. And also that the removal of Russians should not be considered as a sanction based on citizenship.

"The Board considered that the complete suspension of the Russian athletes was not a proportionate measure to achieve the sole purpose pursued by the FIL, as additional measures could be found to ensure the safety of the competition," the CAS said in a statement.

According to the final decision, the board extended the period of suspension of Russian athletes from FIL competitions, but the ban on the participation of "athletes suitable for the criteria of neutrality" of the Russian Federation was lifted.

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Prior to that, on June 18, the International Luge Federation did not allow Russian athletes to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, the decision was made as part of a vote. The Congress also decided not to authorize the FIL executive committee to develop a program for neutral Russian athletes. The President of the FSSR, Natalia Garth, announced her intention to defend the rights of her luge riders in court. The same decision was made by six other athletes — Alexander Gorbatsevich, Andrey Bogdanov, Sofia Mazur, Yuri Prokhorov, Ekaterina Fomina and Polina Grigorieva.

After that, on October 16, the CAS recognized for the first time in its history that the ban on Russian athletes from participating in international competitions was discrimination. According to the judges, the suspension of the Russians violates the principles of political neutrality, which are enshrined in both the ETTU Constitution and the Olympic Charter.

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