World Curling will continue to exclude Russian athletes from its adult competitions for the remainder of 2026. The international federation’s Board voted to extend the measure at its meeting on 10 August after considering the latest guidance from the International Olympic Committee -IOC-, feedback from its member associations and the views of 2026 event hosts.
The decision confirms that international federations continue to respond differently to the changing IOC position. In July, the organisation provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and declared that its previous recommendations regarding the participation of Russian athletes were no longer applicable. However, each international federation retains authority over eligibility in its competitions. Some have begun a complete reintegration, others have maintained their exclusions, and World Curling has drawn a distinction between junior and adult events.
An exclusion extended since 2022
World Curling excluded Russia and Belarus from its competitions in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In September of that year, the Board maintained the measure until 31 December under Rule C1(b), which allows it to remove a team or member association if it considers that their presence could damage an event, endanger participants or disrupt its proper conduct. The Russian teams that had qualified for the European Championships were replaced by the next eligible nations.
The ban was subsequently extended until the end of the 2022-2023 season, then through the 2023-2024 campaign and later until the conclusion of 2024-2025. During each review, the federation referred to concerns raised by its members and the potential effect of Russian and Belarusian participation on the integrity, safety and orderly conduct of its championships. The policy began to change in January 2026, when World Curling authorised junior athletes from both countries to return to international competition in response to the IOC recommendation that young athletes should not be held responsible for the actions of their governments.
An opening limited to junior competition
Russia’s first participation following that change was due to take place at the World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Edmonton in May. However, delays in the visa application process prevented the pair from travelling to Canada. The team was recorded as having not started, with its scheduled games forfeited. Its absence was therefore not caused by a new sporting ban, but by its inability to complete the entry process in time.
The opening granted to Russian junior athletes has not been extended to adult competitions. World Curling said its Board was “strongly convinced” that their reintroduction would present “significant challenges to the integrity of the competitions” and that changing its current position was therefore not viable. The federation also underlined its obligation to ensure that its events take place in a safe and fair environment. The latest statement refers exclusively to Russia and does not announce any decision concerning the current eligibility of Belarusian adult athletes.
A different approach from each federation
The Russian Curling Federation has challenged its exclusion before the Court of Arbitration for Sport -CAS-, with a ruling expected shortly. World Curling will have to respond to the tribunal’s decision while it continues with a policy that combines the readmission of Russian junior athletes with their complete exclusion from adult competitions, without providing a neutral route to participation.
The approach once again highlights the absence of a common position across international sport. World Boxing has restored Russia’s participation with its flag, anthem and national symbols, while the International Ice Hockey Federation -IIHF- has excluded Russian and Belarusian teams from the 2026-2027 season and will only consider a possible return for under-18 teams in the following campaign. World Curling sits between those positions: it has begun reintegrating Russian athletes at junior level but does not believe the conditions yet exist to extend that process to adult competitions. The IOC’s new direction has opened the possibility of a return, but its implementation still depends on how each federation assesses safety, the integrity of its competitions and the international situation.
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