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Russia claims it could still have athletes compete at the Winter Olympics (AP)
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Russian skiers and snowboarders have secured a court victory allowing them to apply for neutral status to compete in qualification events for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the country’s sports minister, Mikhail Degtyaryov, announced on Tuesday.
Mr Degtyaryov stated on social media that an appeal lodged by Russia with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) successfully overturned a comprehensive ban previously imposed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
While CAS has yet to publish its official ruling, this marks another significant legal triumph for Russian and Belarusian winter sports competitors, who have largely been excluded from international events for nearly four years following the start of the war in Ukraine.
This decision follows a similar CAS ruling in October, which sided against a long-standing blanket ban on the Russian luge federation and its athletes based solely on their nationality.
Sports bodies have primarily cited security concerns as the basis for their exclusion policies.
However, significant practical hurdles remain despite the legal win. FIS faces a tight window to process neutral status applications before the crucial 18 January qualification deadline, with the Winter Olympics scheduled to commence on 6 February.
Under International Olympic Committee guidance, neutral status is typically granted to athletes who have not publicly endorsed the military invasion of Ukraine and lack connections to military or state security agencies.
Furthermore, Russian athletes and team officials may encounter difficulties securing visas for entry into countries hosting crucial qualifying events on the World Cup circuit, including those for Alpine, cross-country and freestyle skiing, and snowboarding.
Next year’s Winter Olympics are due to run from February 6-22 and the torch relay began in Olympia last week.
However, the lighting ceremony did not take place in its usual location as it was moved to a nearby museum due to concerns over bad weather in the area.
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