Russian Hockey Players Excluded from 2026 Olympics, Confirmed by IOC

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will maintain its policy of allowing Russian athletes to compete under a neutral status at the 2026 Olympic Games, similar to the arrangements for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This was announced by IOC official Kirsty Coventry during a press conference.

As in Paris, Russian athletes will not be eligible to participate in team sports. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has already confirmed the groups for the men’s and women’s tournaments at the 2026 Olympic Games, which do not include Russian teams. The IIHF emphasized that the final decision will rest with the IOC.

It is worth noting that the Russian national team has been absent from the ice hockey world championships since 2022. The team did compete at the Olympics that year before their suspension, where they secured a silver medal.

The Olympics in Italy are scheduled to take place from February 6 to 23, 2026. Russian athletes will compete under a neutral flag, and the exact number of participants will be announced later.