Copyright tass
MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. The Appeals Tribunal at the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation declared illegal the IBSF Congress' decision to ban Russian athletes from international competitions, announced Russia's Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov, who also heads the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). "The IBSF Appeals Tribunal has ruled the IBSF Congress' decision to ban Russian athletes from international competitions as illegal. This actually means that the international federation will now have to permit Russian bobsleigh and skeleton athletes to take part in all international events, including qualifying tournaments for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games," he wrote on his Telegram channel. Degtyaryov expressed hope that the decision will set a precedent for other international sports federations, banning Russian athletes from international competitions. At a meeting on September 12, the IBSF Congress did not allow Russian athletes back to tournaments under its aegis in the 2025-2026 season. January 18, 2026 is the qualification deadline after which the IBSF will publish its Olympic Quote allocation list. The global bobsleigh and skeleton body will reallocate unused quotas on January 22-25. Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will be held on February 6-22, with 170 bobsleigh athletes and 50 skeleton athletes taking part.
