★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★ ≡ RUSSIA IN WORLD SPORT ≡ “We will work with the federation. But for now this is a gradual movement. I repeat – participation is better than isolation. We must enter any crack, any gap. “Are the conditions draconian? We will demand that they be softened. But, I repeat, in a working order, legally in contact with the international federation, that’s the only way.” That’s Russian Sports Minister (and Russian Olympic Committee head) Mikhail Degtyarev, commenting to the TASS news agency about the International Skating Union’s approval of very limited 2026 Olympic Winter Games qualifying opportunities in figure skating, speed skating and short track. This follows the 10-medal performance – as “neutrals” – at the World Aquatics Short-Course (25 m) Championships in Hungary; the news is better, but the situation is hardly satisfactory. Nevertheless, a sense of optimism has started, with Vladimir Leonov, the sports minister for the Republic of Tatarstan, saying he’s looking forward to booking events in the aquatic center of Kazan, about 530 miles east of Moscow. He told TASS: “We talked with World Aquatics, we’ll see how things are going, maybe we’ll get back to negotiations about holding World Cup stages in Kazan. If the situation normalizes, they’re ready to give it to us, to hold the World Cup in one sport or another. There’s swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming. “We also talked about water polo; some title matches. Such negotiations are being held not only with World Aquatics, but also with other federations. Today, windows and opportunities are opening, largely due to what we’ve done this year, we’ve shown that we’re open, free, athletes are coming. “Now gymnastics has relaxed its rules, negotiations have begun on speed skating, figure skating; judo is already allowing our athletes. This is the trend, it is great for our athletes, for the national team. The guys have missed it. When we enter the world arena and show that we remain in the leading roles, we are competitive, it proves that we have not lost our heads, we have continued training.” Some Russian athletes are agreeing to neutral status in gymnastics, specifically in trampoline, applying to the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) for permission. Five have received “neutral” status and seven more are applying, including one for junior events. It isn’t free, and the head coach of the Russian trampoline team, Alexei Ryzhkov, complained bitterly about the costs: “The international federation still uses draconian methods. “It is necessary to pay money for neutral status. Today it costs 3,000 Swiss francs per athlete and 1,500 per specialist. I do not understand this decision, and I do not want to comment on it” (CHF 1 = $1.11 U.S.). Even the Russian Anti-Doping Agency is hoping for reinstatement by the World Anti-Doping Agency, with Director General Viktoria Loginova telling TASS: “In December, it was three years since I took over the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. The year 2024 passed for RUSADA without any high-profile stories, which often distract attention from the implementation of our key functions and the improvement of our work. We continue a constructive dialogue with WADA regarding operational activities. The audit date has not been set, but we are confident in our activities and are ready even for a surprise inspection without prior notice, in the best traditions of doping control. “If we move on to the issue of restoring RUSADA’s status, the last thing we heard on this matter was that we can return to it only after the critical remark [in Russian law] is eliminated. In 2024, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency did everything in its power to restore its compliance status with the World Anti-Doping Code. We established a dialogue with the new heads of the Ministry of Sports and the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports and, accordingly, informed them about the problem, expressed our willingness to participate in the preparation of the bill, and prepared a draft federal law that could satisfy WADA’s requirements. “I am looking forward to the start of our dialogue with WADA on the issue of restoration, in order to finally be convinced of the real independence of the world anti-doping system. The good news is that I have not heard criticism of us from WADA for a long time; on the contrary, recently WADA spoke positively about the level of testing in Russia, which our colleagues from some other countries did not like at all.” ¶ As 2024 turns into 2025, it’s worth remembering that the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues and will mark a sad, third anniversary on 24 February 2025. Less than a month later, the International Olympic Committee will elect a new President, at the 144th IOC Session in Greece. Russia’s future in international sport got brighter in 2024, as some federations relaxed their rules a bit, especially after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games concluded. But the new IOC President will have a lot to say about the circumstances of Russia’s future participation, most immediately at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina. ¶ ★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going. For our updated, 885-event International Sports Calendar for the rest of 2024, 2025 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!

As 2024 turns into 2025, it’s worth remembering that the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues and will mark a sad, third anniversary on 24 February 2025.“We also talked about water polo; some title matches. Such negotiations are being held not only with World Aquatics, but also with other federations. Today, windows and opportunities are opening, […]

As 2024 turns into 2025, it’s worth remembering that the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues and will mark a sad, third anniversary on 24 February 2025.“We also talked about water polo; some title matches. Such negotiations are being held not only with World Aquatics, but also with other federations. Today, windows and opportunities are opening, largely due to what we’ve done this year, we’ve shown that we’re open, free, athletes are coming.
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
Less than a month later, the International Olympic Committee will elect a new President, at the 144th IOC Session in Greece. Russia’s future in international sport got brighter in 2024, as some federations relaxed their rules a bit, especially after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games concluded. But the new IOC President will have a lot to say about the circumstances of Russia’s future participation, most immediately at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina.
“We talked with World Aquatics, we’ll see how things are going, maybe we’ll get back to negotiations about holding World Cup stages in Kazan. If the situation normalizes, they’re ready to give it to us, to hold the World Cup in one sport or another. There’s swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming.
“The international federation still uses draconian methods.
¶
Even the Russian Anti-Doping Agency is hoping for reinstatement by the World Anti-Doping Agency, with Director General Viktoria Loginova telling TASS:
“It is necessary to pay money for neutral status. Today it costs 3,000 Swiss francs per athlete and 1,500 per specialist. I do not understand this decision, and I do not want to comment on it” (CHF 1 = .11 U.S.).
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
“We will work with the federation. But for now this is a gradual movement. I repeat – participation is better than isolation. We must enter any crack, any gap.
“I am looking forward to the start of our dialogue with WADA on the issue of restoration, in order to finally be convinced of the real independence of the world anti-doping system. The good news is that I have not heard criticism of us from WADA for a long time; on the contrary, recently WADA spoke positively about the level of testing in Russia, which our colleagues from some other countries did not like at all.”
“In December, it was three years since I took over the Russian Anti-Doping Agency. The year 2024 passed for RUSADA without any high-profile stories, which often distract attention from the implementation of our key functions and the improvement of our work. We continue a constructive dialogue with WADA regarding operational activities. The audit date has not been set, but we are confident in our activities and are ready even for a surprise inspection without prior notice, in the best traditions of doping control.
“If we move on to the issue of restoring RUSADA’s status, the last thing we heard on this matter was that we can return to it only after the critical remark [in Russian law] is eliminated. In 2024, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency did everything in its power to restore its compliance status with the World Anti-Doping Code. We established a dialogue with the new heads of the Ministry of Sports and the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports and, accordingly, informed them about the problem, expressed our willingness to participate in the preparation of the bill, and prepared a draft federal law that could satisfy WADA’s requirements.
“Now gymnastics has relaxed its rules, negotiations have begun on speed skating, figure skating; judo is already allowing our athletes. This is the trend, it is great for our athletes, for the national team. The guys have missed it. When we enter the world arena and show that we remain in the leading roles, we are competitive, it proves that we have not lost our heads, we have continued training.”
Some Russian athletes are agreeing to neutral status in gymnastics, specifically in trampoline, applying to the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) for permission. Five have received “neutral” status and seven more are applying, including one for junior events.
It isn’t free, and the head coach of the Russian trampoline team, Alexei Ryzhkov, complained bitterly about the costs:
For our updated, 885-event International Sports Calendar for the rest of 2024, 2025 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
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That’s Russian Sports Minister (and Russian Olympic Committee head) Mikhail Degtyarev, commenting to the TASS news agency about the International Skating Union’s approval of very limited 2026 Olympic Winter Games qualifying opportunities in figure skating, speed skating and short track. This follows the 10-medal performance – as “neutrals” – at the World Aquatics Short-Course (25 m) Championships in Hungary; the news is better, but the situation is hardly satisfactory.
≡ RUSSIA IN WORLD SPORT ≡