The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has reluctantly accepted this week’s ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturning its exclusion of Russian teams from international competitions.
The ban was challenged at the Lausanne-based court by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) in August, after the IIHF resisted a broader trend toward readmitting Russian and Belarusian competitors in July.
The IIHF said on Friday that it respected CAS' authority and would comply with its ruling, but maintained that the restrictions on Russian teams were “necessary to protect the safety and security of all participants and safeguard the integrity of its competitions” – an argument the court found was not supported by sufficient evidence. The federation also complained that the decision carried “significant practical implications” for upcoming championships.
The RIHF said that it would work with the IIHF to implement the CAS-mandated reinstatement. The World Junior Championship, scheduled to take place in Canada from December through January, is set to become the first major tournament featuring Russia following the ruling.
Russian and Belarusian athletes were barred from competitions organized by numerous international federations following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Over the following years, arguments that the exclusions were politically motivated and inherently discriminatory increasingly gained traction.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which wields considerable influence over international sports, withdrew its recommendations restricting Russian participation in July, clearing the way for athletes and teams to return.
The IIHF was among several federations that maintained restrictions, alongside track and field governing body World Athletics, the International Biathlon Union (IBU), and football authorities FIFA and UEFA. Other organizations retained partial exclusions, including requirements that Russian and Belarusian athletes compete without displaying their national symbols.
Moscow has argued that Western nations pressured international sports organizations into excluding Russian athletes as part of their broader strategy to contain Russia. It has also maintained that the restrictions have undermined the quality of international competitions by denying some of the strongest contenders an opportunity to demonstrate their skills.
Efforts to prevent Russian athletes from participating in international competitions have continued, with supporters of Ukraine resorting to visa restrictions, public ostracism, and other measures, sometimes at a cost to themselves.
Earlier this year, Estonia and Poland lost the right to host European fencing and weightlifting championships, respectively, after refusing to guarantee entry to Russian competitors. Both decisions preceded the IOC’s July policy change.
This month, the Netherlands denied entry visas to three prominent Russian gymnasts, prompting Moscow to demand that the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam be stripped of their status as an Olympic qualifying event.
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