Svishchev called Latvia's ban on the entry of Russian sledges "disgusting".

The ban on entry to Latvia for 14 Russian luge riders is an "abhorrent" decision. This opinion was expressed on December 24 by State Duma deputy Dmitry Svishchev.

"This is a disgusting and unsportsmanlike act. The president of the International Luge Federation (FIL), Einars Fogelis, is from Latvia, but he must comply with all the recommendations and instructions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which decided to allow our luge athletes a neutral status." — RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.

The parliamentarian also expressed the opinion that Fogelis himself contributed to the non-issuance of visas to Russian athletes. Svishchev stressed that this act was ugly and unsportsmanlike, and the Russians were banned from entering for "politically far-fetched reasons."

"I don't understand at all how such a person can lead an international federation," he added.

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On the same day, Latvia declared 14 Russian athletes persona non grata. It was noted that entry restrictions were imposed indefinitely. According to the Delfi portal, the decision was made against the background of the planned international winter Luge World Cup, which will be held in early January 2026.

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