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

[tony]

What are "paid meMiners"?

A fat-fingered mistake for members

 

[MacMadame]

One could perhaps even say she has death in her soul????

Does she have a soul?

But as the Russian doping issue has not been dealt with seriously, anything she wins--and I don't know why folks would convince themselves she couldn't win it all--will have no meaning to me and will, at best, have an asterisk attached within my head.

You think a skater who hasn't competed internationally in years and never internationally as a Senior could win an OGM? That seems a bit of a stretch.

As for Russia appealing to CAS, that was inevitable. I wonder if that is why they submitted who they did for Dance and Pairs, hoping to get them in on appeal.

 

[Vagabond]

Why would anyone pay Dave Leese, given his odious remarks about those who died in the recent plane crash?

 

[caseyedwards]

Does she have a soul?

You think a skater who hasn't competed internationally in years and never internationally as a Senior could win an OGM? That seems a bit of a stretch.

As for Russia appealing to CAS, that was inevitable. I wonder if that is why they submitted who they did for Dance and Pairs, hoping to get them in on appeal.

It all depends on what her pcs is. Is 6.75? No. Of course not. If she gets 6.75 or lower in Beijing she won’t even qualify. If it’s 8’s - the new low -than yes

 

[Alilou]

Why would anyone pay Dave Leese, given his odious remarks about those who died in the recent plane crash?

Fixed it for you.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

What are "paid meMiners"?

I don’t know what happened to my copy and paste formatting, that was supposed to be members

 

[jägerbomb]

Somehow "meMiner" makes sense as a title for TSL's Patreon supporters.

 

[sus2850]

Was that posted already?‘
They say they want to know whythey are not allowed to compete:

Aleksandra Stepanova on Instagram: "Это наше официальное видео-обращение к представителям Международного союза конькобежцев и Международному Олимпийскому комитету в лице Президента организации Кирсти Ковентри. This is our official message to the re

3,620 likes, 199 comments - aleksandrastepanova on May 17, 2025: "Это наше официальное видео-обращение к представителям Международного союза конькобежцев и Международному Олимпийскому комитету в лице Президента организации Кирсти Ковентри. This is our official message to the representatives of...

www.instagram.com

 

[caseyedwards]

Not just them! But all the future generations. The ones for 2030 and 2034 and beyond! They all have a right to know what’s allowed. What speech is allowed. What behavior is allowed. S/b failed but what was it specifically? Gumennik has Russian flags in some of his pictures on instagram. That’s allowed but going to a Putin state of the country address is not? You can carry the Russian flag like gumennik does but not recognize the president of Russia

 

[Willin]

It's just so shameless. They know exactly why they can't compete.

 

[caseyedwards]

It's just so shameless. They know exactly why they can't compete.

They don’t know “exactly” why. It’s very important for future generations to know. The ones going for 2029 and 2033 and 2037

 

[Karen-W]

Not just them! But all the future generations. The ones for 2030 and 2034 and beyond! They all have a right to know what’s allowed. What speech is allowed. What behavior is allowed. S/b failed but what was it specifically? Gumennik has Russian flags in some of his pictures on instagram. That’s allowed but going to a Putin state of the country address is not? You can carry the Russian flag like gumennik does but not recognize the president of Russia

You know, StepBuk's pleas for an explanation could backfire. Say they point out, as you are, Gumennik's Russian flag pics on his IG. If I'm the ISU and I don't want to let StepBuk in because they attended Putin's address to the Federal Assembly last year, which StepBuk then say "well, we're just patriotic Russian citizens, that's why we went, how is that different from Gumennik's Russian flags on his SM?"... I say, as the ISU, "Oh, gosh, thanks for pointing this out to us. Sorry, Mr Gumennik, we're withdrawing our approval for your AIN status" and then, poof, away goes a chance to try for a spot in the Men's discipline. And I probably go back and review Petrosian's social media for anything similar. Just to be thorough and fair and even-handed in the application of the standard.

 

[Jammers]

The simple answer is until they leave the Ukraine and also get their house in order in terms of drug testing and stop with the state sponsored doping programs they have had for over a decade they will continue to be banned as in not allowed to compete not this nonsense the IOC wants for Milan. Just have the guts to do what the IAAF has done for track and field and that is keep Russia from competing in international events since 2015 for doping and making them wait to come back until the war in Ukraine ends.

 

[caseyedwards]

You know, StepBuk's pleas for an explanation could backfire. Say they point out, as you are, Gumennik's Russian flag pics on his IG. If I'm the ISU and I don't want to let StepBuk in because they attended Putin's address to the Federal Assembly last year, which StepBuk then say "well, we're just patriotic Russian citizens, that's why we went, how is that different from Gumennik's Russian flags on his SM?"... I say, as the ISU, "Oh, gosh, thanks for pointing this out to us. Sorry, Mr Gumennik, we're withdrawing our approval for your AIN status" and then, poof, away goes a chance to try for a spot in the Men's discipline. And I probably go back and review Petrosian's social media for anything similar. Just to be thorough and fair and even-handed in the application of the standard.

Anything that leads to written standards of conduct would be great! If stepanova and bukin appeals lead to no mens and women’s because of reasons a or b future men and women know what not to do. The ones trying for 2034

The simple answer is until they leave the Ukraine and also get their house in order in terms of drug testing and stop with the state sponsored doping programs they have had for over a decade they will continue to be banned as in not allowed to compete not this nonsense the IOC wants for Milan. Just have the guts to do what the IAAF has done for track and field and that is keep Russia from competing in international events since 2015 for doping and making them wait to come back until the war in Ukraine ends.

Even though it’s world athletics now they did have neutral Russian in Rio

 

[On My Own]

@caseyedwards you're at your best when you're trolling about Lysacek, the rest of the trolling is getting boring though.

 

[PRlady]

@caseyedwards you're at your best when you're trolling about Lysacek, the rest of the trolling is getting boring though.

But those rubles from the Kremlin are useful, and he probably comes cheap relative to other would-be influencers.

 

[Vagabond]

They should be asking important questions, such as why Russia is occupying Ukraine.

 

[On My Own]

They should be asking important questions, such as why Russia is occupying Ukraine.

I'm guessing that question was dropped along with "Why can the US violate the Olympic Truce multiple times and get away with it?".

 

[caseyedwards]

@caseyedwards you're at your best when you're trolling about Lysacek, the rest of the trolling is getting boring though.

Great

 

[kwanfan1818]

That's a question for the IOC, not the ISU.

 

[alice73]

EXPLAINER: What in the world is the Olympic Truce?

A U.N. resolution upholding the Olympic Truce has been passed 15 times. The pact has its roots in ancient Greece, when it was intended to grant athletes from constantly warring city-states safe passage to the Olympic Games.

apnews.com

Shadow of Israeli-Palestinian conflict hangs over Paris Olympics

The Palestinian Olympic Committee is calling for Israeli athletes to be excluded from the events due to the ongoing war in Gaza, a call also made by radical left French MPs. On Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron ruled out any sanctions against the Israel delegation.

www.lemonde.fr

I linked them last time.

The United States in 2002 - their getting a resolution passed to continue hostilities notwithstanding.

Israel in 2024.

There’s absolutely no moral equivalency between Russia and USA. In its aggression Russia shows blatant disregard for human life and for most of civility. They’re consistently cynical and shameless and proud of it. I don’t know where you’re from. I happen to be born and raised in the former USSR. Since you brought up Israel, there’s no moral equivalency there either. Israel is conducting a defensive war. So yes, the decision to ban Russia, and not US or Israel is correct.

 

[On My Own]

There’s absolutely no moral equivalency between Russia and USA. In its aggression Russia shows blatant disregard for human life and for most of civility. They’re consistently cynical and shameless and proud of it. I don’t know where you’re from. I happen to be born and raised in the former USSR. Since you brought up Israel, there’s no moral equivalency there either. Israel is conducting a defensive war. So yes, the decision to ban Russia, and not US or Israel is correct.

I have no interest in the IOC being arbiters of "moral equivalencies" actually.

If you're interested go take it up in the politics thread I noted upthread.

 

[marbri]

Was that posted already?‘
They say they want to know whythey are not allowed to compete:

Aleksandra Stepanova on Instagram: "Это наше официальное видео-обращение к представителям Международного союза конькобежцев и Международному Олимпийскому комитету в лице Президента организации Кирсти Ковентри. This is our official message to the re

3,620 likes, 199 comments - aleksandrastepanova on May 17, 2025: "Это наше официальное видео-обращение к представителям Международного союза конькобежцев и Международному Олимпийскому комитету в лице Президента организации Кирсти Ковентри. This is our official message to the representatives of...

www.instagram.com

I just saw this video this moment and came here to ask an off topic question for those fluent in Russian. A language I have no knowledge in.

Is Russian Bukin's first language? When Stepanova speaks the words just flow easily and has a beautiful rhythm. Bukin on the other hand sounds the opposite.

 

[sus2850]

I just saw this video this moment and came here to ask an off topic question for those fluent in Russian. A language I have no knowledge in.

Is Russian Bukin's first language? When Stepanova speaks the words just flow easily and has a beautiful rhythm. Bukin on the other hand sounds the opposite.

I think she decided to speak calmly and he is agitated. He feels wronged and wants to make that very clear, so he expresses every syllable with emphasis - that is at least my interpretation. I mean it was him who was excluded 2018, and he states that he still does not know why. I think he believes what he says truely

 

[kwanfan1818]

Well, we know that we women can't [fill in the blank] because we're too emotional.

 

[Frau Muller]

Why would anyone pay Dave Leese, given his odious remarks about those who died in the recent plane crash?

I like The Skating Session, with Tony and Thomas! Try it again.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[Bigbird]

I think she decided to speak calmly and he is agitated. He feels wronged and wants to make that very clear, so he expresses every syllable with emphasis - that is at least my interpretation. I mean it was him who was excluded 2018, and he states that he still does not know why. I think he believes what he says truely

Came off as too staged to me. The bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, calm, sweet Stepanova and the naive, emotional Bukin. If these were teenagers, I'd be inclined to believe them, but as thirty-year-olds, it just seems peculiar. An appeal like this should be done officially through a Federation and its lawyers, this comes across as shallow and pretentious.

 

[MacMadame]

Israel is conducting a defensive war.

It's not a war when you are bombing part of your own country. Just saying...