The International Luge Federation has disqualified three Russian athletes planning to compete in Lake Placid, N.Y., in a bid to qualify for the Milan-Cortina Olympics. 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 after the presentation of “new evidence,” which was discussed with the International Olympic Committee.
While the exact nature of the evidence was not disclosed by FIL officials, a source familiar with the matter revealed that it raised concerns about the neutrality of the athletes regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This neutrality issue is a key factor in determining which Russian athletes will be permitted to compete for Olympic qualification.
Despite the disqualification of the three athletes, Russian sliders Matvei Perestoronin, Pavel Repilov, and Daria Olesik are still set to participate in the upcoming competition in Lake Placid. They engaged in official training on Tuesday and are expected to continue training on Wednesday, with plans to compete in a Nations Cup race on Thursday.
The absence of Russian participation in World Cup luge races since January 2022 is part of the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee has urged sports bodies to allow Russian athletes to compete under a neutral status at the Milan Cortina Games, a decision that was initially opposed by the luge federation but later revised after appeals.
Ukrainian athletes, expressing discomfort with the idea of Russian participation, conducted their training session separately from the Russian team at the Mount Van Hoevenberg track. Visa issues may hinder Russian participation in the last two luge qualifying races in Latvia and Germany. The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation has approved nine Russian athletes for races this season, although none will compete in the upcoming World Cup skeleton races in Latvia.