Overview

• The IOC’s March 2023 executive recommendation remains in effect, excluding Russian teams from all team sports at Milan-Cortina 2026.
• IIHF President Luc Tardif confirmed that the federation must draw groups and finalize the ice hockey schedule without Russia’s participation.
• Russian athletes retain eligibility to compete individually under a neutral designation but are barred from forming any team.
• The exclusion extends a suspension that has kept Russia out of international ice hockey competitions since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
• The Russian Olympic Committee intends to challenge the team ban in international courts and awaits a February 2027 decision on Russia’s 2027 world championship status.