Sports Minister Degtyarev spoke about the IOC's support for Russian athletes
Russian Sports Minister and Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev said on December 2 that the International Olympic Committee supports the return of Russian athletes to international competitions.
"The IOC is on our side, the International Olympic Committee is helping us in exerting pressure, including on European countries, to allow our athletes to compete," he said on Match TV.
Against the background of the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which satisfied Russia's claim against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), the minister noted that now the federation is obliged to allow Russians to participate in international competitions. Degtyarev stressed that the arbitrators recognized the demands of the Russian side as justified and decided to allow Russian athletes in the Olympic disciplines — in a neutral status, and Paralympians — under the national flag and with national attributes.
He expressed confidence that the FIS will promptly determine the criteria for the participation of Russian representatives in the World Cup stages, which will allow athletes to qualify. At the same time, according to the minister, Russia will provide visa support in order to eliminate obstacles from individual countries.
Degtyarev also stressed that the IOC is assisting in the issue of pressure on European federations and governments to ensure the admission of Russian athletes to international competitions not only in cross-country skiing, but also in other Olympic sports.
On December 1, the IOC announced that Russian figure skaters Adelia Petrosyan and Peter Gumennik had accepted an invitation to participate in the 2026 Olympic Games in a neutral status. According to the committee's press service, the list of eligible neutral athletes will be updated.
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