The International Luge Federation has revoked the eligibility of three Russian athletes set to compete in Lake Placid, N.Y., aiming to qualify for the Milan-Cortina Olympics, as announced by the governing body on Tuesday. The decision to remove Alexsandr Gorbatsevich, Sofiia Mazur, and Kseniia Shamova from the list of eligible sliders was made by the federation’s executive board following the presentation of “new evidence” that was discussed with various parties, including the International Olympic Committee.
While the nature of the evidence was not disclosed by FIL officials, a source familiar with the situation mentioned that it raised concerns about the neutrality of the three athletes regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The source spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press as this detail was not publicly disclosed.
The issue of neutrality holds significant importance in the selection process for Russian athletes to qualify for the Olympics. Several sports federations are considering allowing Russian athletes to compete only after undergoing an independent review to ensure they have not publicly supported the war and have no affiliations with Russia’s military or other related entities.
Despite this development, Russian sliders Matvei Perestoronin, Pavel Repilov, and Daria Olesik are still anticipated to participate in the upcoming event in Lake Placid. The trio engaged in official training on Tuesday and are expected to continue training on Wednesday, leading up to their potential participation in a Nations Cup race on Thursday, which serves as a qualifying event for those not directly guaranteed a spot in the World Cup competition.
Following Russia’s absence from World Cup luge races since January 2022 in response to the invasion of Ukraine, the FIL and other sports governing bodies have implemented measures in response to the situation.
The International Olympic Committee has expressed its desire for Russian athletes in various sports to compete as neutral participants at the Milan Cortina Games. Initially, Luge, among other sports, had declined participation by Russian athletes but later revised those decisions after appeals.
While Ukrainian athletes have expressed discomfort with the idea of Russian competitors, they were engaged in separate training sessions on the first day of official preparations at the Mount Van Hoevenberg track in Lake Placid.
Regarding the upcoming luge qualifying races in Latvia and Germany, the process of obtaining visas for these countries may pose challenges for Russian athletes. The Russians previously received visas from the U.S. to attend races in Utah and Lake Placid, skipping the Utah event for reasons that remain undisclosed.
On a separate note, the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation recently declared nine Russian athletes eligible for its season races. However, none of these athletes are registered for the World Cup skeleton races in Latvia scheduled for this weekend.