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Russia granted right to compete internationally in canoe slalom under neutral status

Canoe slalom is a water sport where individuals must navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on river rapids, fastest time wins

MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. Russia has been granted the right to compete internationally in canoe slalom events under a neutral status, the press office of the Russian Canoe Slalom Federation said in a statement on Friday.

On March 1, 2022, the International Canoe Federation (ICF) suspended athletes representing Russia and Belarus indefinitely from international competition citing developments in Ukraine as the reason.

Canoe slalom is a water sport where individuals must navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on river rapids, fastest time wins. This sport is on the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) list of Summer Games competitions, registered as Canoe/Kayak Slalom.

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part 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 to permit individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain 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.