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Neutral Status Blocks Russian From U23 European Bobsleigh Medals as Freestylers Miss Laax Final

Organizers' interpretations of neutral status are shaping who counts in continental standings.

Overview

  • Twenty-one-year-old Sofia Stepushkina placed 18th in monobob at the European Cup in Innsbruck on January 14.
  • Event officials excluded her from the concurrent U23 European Championship classification, saying neutral athletes cannot be assigned to any continent.
  • Her performance would have ranked sixth in the U23 standings, making her ineligible for medal contention under the ruling.
  • At the Laax World Cup slopestyle qualifier, Anastasia Tatalina scored 61.08 for 13th and Lana Prusakova 49.40 for 21st, missing the top ten who advanced to the final.
  • The Laax event is part of qualification for the 2026 Winter Olympics, with Russian athletes competing under FIS neutral status.