Russian Skaters Allowed to Compete as Neutrals (AIN) to Qualify for 2026 Winter Olympics

Finnice said:
I love figure skating, but this ISU decision makes me puke.

It is, of course, wise to have the qualification with the "neutral" skaters from RUS and Belarus in China instead of Germany. Some of us might have gone and protested, if held in Oberstdorf.
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Let's be clear - the ISU made the decision to separate the OQE from Nebelhorn or any other existing competition at least as far back as 2021. The German fed, like every other fed, had the opportunity to bid to host the OQE - they declined because the ISU had board advertising restrictions, etc - that made hosting the OQE economically not feasible.
 
Dub16 said:
We don’t know who bid for the qualifying competition or not. It does seem rather convenient that Beijing was chosen - a country to which Russian and Belarusian skaters will have no issues travelling. Also much easier to control the media in China.
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Right. And we do know that the ISU didn't have any acceptable bids by their original deadline, so they extended the bid deadline earlier this fall. The CFSA may have very well been the only decent bid they received. And they're good at putting on competitions.
 
Dub16 said:
We don’t know who bid for the qualifying competition or not. It does seem rather convenient that Beijing was chosen - a country to which Russian and Belarusian skaters will have no issues travelling. Also much easier to control the media in China.
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:confused: what is the relevance of China's media control here?
 
Vash01 said:
They live in a dictatorship. They had no choice but to support whoever was in power. Don't assume that they had same individual rights and freedom as we do. Some People who opposed Putin had lost their lives. Don't forget that.
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Think they had no choice where the protesting went. Not support. Protestors lost their lives. I havent heard of a single case where the person stayed home and was jailed for that. SinKats and TarMor went to a Putin rally. Scherbakova didn't. Pluschenko went, Yagudin didn't.
 
TAHbKA said:
I don't understand the ISU decision. I can't imagine subjecting Shmuratko or Ukrainian coaches to share a space with someone like Zhulin. What have chamged? Have the war stopped? If not - what is the difference now?
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Maybe it's some sort of decision they had to take for the Olympics, in order to not be sued by someone or lose in a court or whatever? To make it without some sort of external pressure, when it doesn't seem as if there's any own wish to allow Russians to ISU events seems unlikely.

I haven't really followed what other sports are doing in regards to the Olympics.
 
My first thought when I read this yesterday was yuck.

My second thought was that I really, really hope that there's someone at the ISU who's doing their homework on this. It's far too easy to go back and delete old social media posts, etc.

If there's one thing I know, it is that skating fans are the most intelligent sports fans out there. You better believe that there are people who have all the receipts and screenshots.

If the ISU isn't really, really careful about this, there's definitely going to be pie in their faces.
 
SkateGuard said:
My first thought when I read this yesterday was yuck.

My second thought was that I really, really hope that there's someone at the ISU who's doing their homework on this. It's far too easy to go back and delete old social media posts, etc.

If there's one thing I know, it is that skating fans are the most intelligent sports fans out there. You better believe that there are people who have all the receipts and screenshots.

If the ISU isn't really, really careful about this, there's definitely going to be pie in their faces.
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Screenshots can be fake. Who is going to believe in that in the court?
 
If any of the skaters thank the sponsors of the nationals they are banned! Many of them are sanctioned for war involvement. So how can you skate at an event funded by sanctioned companies and qualify? You don’t need archives.
 
Vash01 said:
They live in a dictatorship. They had no choice but to support whoever was in power. Don't assume that they had same individual rights and freedom as we do. Some People who opposed Putin had lost their lives. Don't forget that.
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They do not need to pose with a picture of Putin hanging in their bedroom on social media. They do not need to go to pro war rallys.
Saying nothing is always an option.

Lots of Russians are firmly behind the war against Ukraine. We are kidding ourselves if we think the problem will go away when Putin goes away. It goes much deeper. ?
 
Willin said:
@taz'smum

I think they are the closest to meeting the criteria, but I thought the reason for them representing Russia in the first place was the funding? If Russia's funding would disqualify them from competing they would need to get a ton of money elsewhere.
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Yes they would fit the criteria, but the fact that they have officially retired might be a slight problem!??
 
Hedwig said:
They do not need to pose with a picture of Putin hanging in their bedroom on social media. They do not need to go to pro war rallys.
Saying nothing is always an option.

Lots of Russians are firmly behind the war against Ukraine. We are kidding ourselves if we think the problem will go away when Putin goes away. It goes much deeper. ?
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not unless the kremlin wants you to say something! You are acting like Putin hasn’t made Valieva a sex slave like he did Kabaeva
 
OK I just skimmed all four pages of this thread, so this is for real or still needs to be voted on in March after world’s? I’m confused about that part.

I think I was listening to Dave and Maya talk about this on TSL last night, but I fell asleep five minutes in, I will need to finish.
 
AngieNikodinovLove (ANL) said:
OK I just skimmed all four pages of this thread, so this is for real or still needs to be voted on in March after world’s? I’m confused about that part.

I think I was listening to Dave and Maya talk about this on TSL last night, but I fell asleep five minutes in, I will need to finish.
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It’s for real. Assuming Russia nominates four skaters/teams not on the record supporting the war (tbd what that really means) there will be one in each discipline in Milan.
 
PRlady said:
It’s for real. Assuming Russia nominates four skaters/teams not on the record supporting the war (tbd what that really means) there will be one in each discipline in Milan.
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And also with no whiff of associating with anyone who has a doping violation. Best stay away from any Moscow-based skaters/teams. ;)
 
I am glad they are allowed to compete, they should have been allowed a long time ago. And by they I do not mean Russian skaters in general, I am talking about those who proved to be decent human being. Those who believe they could have spoken against Putin are deluding themselves. You end up dead for doing that regardless of your name. But some have stayed silent and have declined to pose as war supporters. Maybe that is all they could have done. So I hope there will be no M/G, MK or S/B at the Olympics just to name a few of them...
 
PRlady said:
It’s for real. Assuming Russia nominates four skaters/teams not on the record supporting the war (tbd what that really means) there will be one in each discipline in Milan.
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What’s banned is not just supporting the war but appearing at an event where the war was supported- like Russian nationals this year!! Sponsored by companies sanctioned for supporting the war
 
TAHbKA said:
I don't understand the ISU decision. I can't imagine subjecting Shmuratko or Ukrainian coaches to share a space with someone like Zhulin. What have chamged? Have the war stopped? If not - what is the difference now?
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Um someone like Zhulin would not be allowed to go per their criteria?...
 
TAHbKA said:
I don't understand the ISU decision. I can't imagine subjecting Shmuratko or Ukrainian coaches to share a space with someone like Zhulin. What have chamged? Have the war stopped? If not - what is the difference now?

On the other hand going through the skates' social media and disqualifying based on that sounds insane. They have a right to be idiots and what's the point having a national competition if at the end of the day the skaters are selected by their social media posts and not by their skating? Let's have Flores forever represent the USA - she has more followers! It's good for the sport!

The WADA part is an ISU tap on a shoulder for themselves - there was never a lab in Belarus, Russian labs were closed in what? 2015? And never reopened. The rest of the conditions sound equally moronic.
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No one can participate if they
- personally approved of the war
-participated in an event where the war was supported or funded by supporters
- has connection to government funding

Fact: no one at 2025 nationals is eligible
 
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