MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. The Congress of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) has kept in force its decision regarding the participation of Russian athletes in international events under the organization's purview and extended indefinitely the suspension of bobsleigh athletes in doubles and fours, also upholding the previous decision to allow Russians to compete in skeleton and monobob events under a neutral status, President of the Russian Bobsleigh Federation (RBF) Anatoly Pegov told TASS on Tuesday.
"By a majority vote, the IBSF Congress decided to allow only skeletonists and monobob athletes to participate in international competitions," Pegov told TASS.
"Athletes will compete under a neutral status, but they will be granted it, unlike in the previous season, i.e. without any testing, although we were prepared to do so," the RBF chief continued.
"As for allowing bobsleigh athletes in doubles and fours, Europe is not yet ready to let them in. We intend to fight for their rights together with the Russian Olympic Committee," Pegov added.
Late last July, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation ruled to allow Russian skeletonists and female bobsleighers to race in monobob competitions at IBSF tournaments under a neutral status during the Olympic qualifying season.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a decision on July 7 to provisionally lift an earlier-imposed suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and also recommended lifting restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes in all international tournaments.
IOC previously-imposed sanctions against Russia, Belarus
On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to prohibit athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.
Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.
In late March, 2023, the IOC recommended allowing individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sports tournaments, but only under specific conditions. Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.
On October 12, 2023, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) until further notice after the Russian organization included the Olympic councils of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions as its members.