Russia set to return to international hockey after top sports court's ruling
The sports court's ruling means that Russia will be able to participate in a sweep of forthcoming ice hockey tournaments in Canada, Czechia, the U.S., and Germany.
On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) decision to exclude Russian athletes from participating in their tournaments, deeming it unlawful. This ruling allows Russia to rejoin international ice hockey competitions, including upcoming events in Canada, Czechia, the U.S., and Germany.
The IIHF expressed disappointment with the CAS decision, emphasizing that while they respect the authority of the court, the concerns regarding Russian athletes' safety and security were not adequately addressed in the IIHF's original assessment. The CAS panel unanimously agreed that only proven security concerns could justify excluding athletes of a specific nationality from competitions.
This ruling potentially opens the door for Russia to participate in a series of ice hockey tournaments worldwide, a move that could help Russia improve its international standing. Meanwhile, the European Union is considering measures to limit Russia's access to sporting events, potentially including a visa ban for Russians to the bloc, excluding those with legitimate travel needs.
Lithuania's decision to deny visas to Russian and Belarusian athletes resulted in it losing the hosting rights for a world pentathlon tournament.
The European Commission expressed regret over decisions to allow Russia to rejoin global sports events but stated it would respect the autonomy of sports organizations. The Oct. 30 CAS ruling may set a broader precedent that could hinder Europe's ability to prevent Russia's return to international sports, as the court's decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. However, it's worth noting that in October, the CAS also decided to maintain a ban on Russian participation in World Curling events.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
