At its 73rd Congress held in Tampere, Finland, the International Luge Federation (FIL) voted to uphold the exclusion of Russian athletes and officials from all its competitions, including the qualification process for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The decision, adopted on June 18, 2025, reaffirms the resolutions previously approved in 2022 and 2024, and was supported by a majority of delegates following a democratic vote.

The exclusion was discussed under item 8.2 of the agenda, sparking a broad exchange among delegates. Leon Felderer, Chair of the FIL Athletes’ Commission, presented the results of an anonymous survey that highlighted a range of athlete concerns regarding fairness, safety, anti-doping compliance, and Olympic quota distribution. While views varied, the final vote showed a clear majority in favor of continuing the exclusion.

No option for neutral athlete participation

In addition to upholding past resolutions, the Congress rejected the possibility of developing a program that would allow Russian athletes to compete under the Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status. In a second vote, 24 delegates again supported the exclusion, while eight favored the neutral option. As a result, neither Russian athletes nor officials will be allowed to take part in the Milano-Cortina 2026 Games in any form.

FIL President Einars Fogelis described the outcome as an expression of unity in defense of sport’s fundamental principles: “This result reflects our shared responsibility to ensure fair and safe competition.” The organization emphasized that it respects the diversity of opinions within the international luge community but reaffirms with this decision its commitment to integrity, safety, and solidarity in international sport.