Russian tobogganists for 2026 Olympics: Decision is difficult!

Russian tobogganists for 2026 Olympics: Decision is difficult!

Tampere, Finnland - The Olympic Winter Games 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will take place without Russian tobogganists. After the 73rd Congress in Tampere, Finland, the Rodel World Association (Fil) decided to exclude Russian athletes from the competition. This was confirmed by Fil President Einars Fogelis, who made it clear that the focus was on responsibility for a fair and safe competition. The decision is part of a regulation that has been in force since September 23, 2022 and now also affects the qualification process for the Olympic Games. The exclusion was confirmed with a vote: 24 delegates voted for it, seven against it, one voice was invalid.

The debate about the exclusion of Russian athletes has also brought the opportunity to participate as a “neutral athlete” (AIN) under the guidelines of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Leon Felderer, Chairman of the Fil-Athlete Commission, presented the results of an anonymous survey under art and natural rail athletes. This survey revealed a differentiated opinion in which athletes expressed concerns about security, anti-doping measures, fairness and equal opportunities in the Olympic qualification process. Despite the suggestions for possible AIN participants, it was decided in a second vote that the Fil Executive is not authorized to develop such a program.

strong resistance to Russian athletes

The athletes showed strong concerns through the survey. While some signaled a certain openness to neutral participation, the majority were against the integration of Russian tobogganists. The discussion about your participation shows the complexity of the current situation in international sport, especially with regard to the security and integrity of the competition. The venue of the coming winter games, which is critically eyed in the lived sports context in view of doping -related scandals, is thus given additional weight.

The debates about doping and the integrity of sport are currently like never before. In the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, an intensive doping control strategy is carried out by the International Test Agency (ITA) to ensure that athletes compete without performance. Despite these efforts, there are always reports on doping fraud that test the credibility of the Olympic competitions. Historical examples such as the Olympic Games in Moscow 1980 and the revelations about GDR athletes in the past throw a shadow on the integrity of sport, a topic that is also present in the current discussions about Russian athletes. According to a report by the ARD doping editorial team, it is likely that doping fraud could remain undetected in the future, which increases urgency to take effective measures and to maintain the credibility of sport.

The decisions related to the participation of Russian athletes not only reveal the challenges, but also the deep cracks in the system of sport, which are due to the ongoing doping problems and the huge responsibility for fair competition. At a time when the Olympic values ​​are repeatedly conjured up, the view of future competitions will be decisive to maintain trust in international sport.