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Russian lugers issued entry visas ahead of FIL Luge World Cup round in US

President of the Russian Luge Federation Natalia Gart thanked Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev for his support

MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. Applications for US entry visas have been approved for Russian lugers ahead of the second round of the 2025/2026 FIL (International Luge Federation) World Cup this week in the United States, President of the Russian Luge Federation (RLF) Natalia Gart said on Wednesday.

She also thanked Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev for his support regarding the participation of Russian lugers in international tournaments. Earlier in the year, the world’s governing body of luge sports cleared six Russian athletes to participate in the FIL-sponsored tournaments under a neutral status.

"I am very grateful to the Russian Olympic Committee and to you personally, Mikhail Vladimirovich [Degtyarev], for your support of the Russian Luge Federation that yielded a positive result in a court trial and our six athletes were cleared for international competitions," Gart told journalists.

"Our athletes have recently gathered at a training camp in Italy and participated in international competitions. So far, we aren't doing so well against our competitors, but we have to keep in mind that we were away from the international stage for four years," she continued.

"Our national team is currently at a training camp in Kazakhstan, and US visas have been approved for the whole team to participate in the World Cup," Gart added.

Russian athletes missed the opening round of the 2025/2026 FIL Luge World Cup in Germany on December 6-7 but will compete in the 2nd round hosted by Park City (US State of Utah) on December 12-13.

The International Luge Federation barred Russian athletes from competing in its sponsored tournaments since March 2022 after the escalation of the situation in Ukraine. In June 2024, the international federation opted to vote on the extension of sanctions against the Russian athletes.

On July 14, RLF President Gart announced to TASS that the federation decided to protect the rights of its national luge athletes in court. Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev stated later on his Telegram channel that he had filed an appeal against the decision of the FIL Congress disputing the Russian athletes’ ban.

In early November, the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld Russia’s appeal against the previously imposed ban by the International Luge Federation and ruled to clear Russian lugers and bobsledders for participation in international tournaments.

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