Overview

• At the 73rd FIL Congress in Tampere, 24 delegates voted to maintain the exclusion of Russian athletes while seven opposed it
• The ban, effective since September 23, 2022, now applies to all qualifying competitions for the Milan-Cortina Winter Games
• FIL president Einars Fogelis said the outcome reflects the federation’s duty to preserve fair competition and athlete safety
• An anonymous survey of natural- and artificial-track lugers revealed divided opinions on Russian participation amid concerns over doping, fairness and safety
• Delegates rejected proposals to allow Russian competitors as neutral athletes and did not authorize an AIN participation program