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12/12 11:19 CST Russian lugers plan to race in Lake Placid next week. Ukrainian
sliders say it shouldn't be allowed
Russian lugers plan to race in Lake Placid next week. Ukrainian sliders say it
shouldn't be allowed
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) --- Russian athletes have told the International Luge
Federation that they obtained visas and are coming to the U.S. for a World Cup
race next weekend, a move that Ukrainian athletes believe is simply unfair.
And it might not be long before Russians are competing on the bobsled and
skeleton circuits again as well, with the federation that runs those sports
releasing a list Friday of nine cleared athletes --- two bobsledders and seven
skeleton sliders.
The Russian luge team --- about six athletes --- is planning to compete in Lake
Placid, New York, in an effort to boost fledgling hopes of qualifying for the
Milan Cortina Olympics that are coming in February. Russia is not racing at
this weekend's World Cup luge competition in Park City, Utah, despite some
claims from Russian officials in recent days that they would be there.
Russia has not seen its athletes compete in a World Cup luge race since that
country invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago. The war rages on, and now
Ukrainian athletes are bracing for the likelihood of crossing paths with
Russians in competition. It's of no consolation to the Ukrainian sliders that
the Russians --- if they arrive --- will be competing as neutral athletes and
not under their nation's flag.
"They are not neutral," Ukrainian luge athlete Anton Dukach said. "They support
war."
Dukach is Ukraine's top Olympic hopeful in luge. He believes that, if he hadn't
made it into a shelter in time, he would have been killed two years ago when a
Russian rocket hit his apartment. Some of his neighbors, he said, died in that
attack.
He's lost many friends and classmates in the war. He races with them in mind
and cannot understand why Russians --- who haven't been allowed to compete in
many sports because of the war --- now have sliders and others being given a
shot at making it to the Olympics.
The neutrality issue is paramount. Certain sports federations are preparing to
let Russian athletes compete, but only after they are cleared in what is
described as an independent review process to ensure that they have not
publicly supported the war and are not affiliated with Russia's military or
other forces.
"Of course I don't support this decision," Dukach said. "The FIL and the
(International Olympic Committee) said they are neutral, but I don't think so.
We have proof and we already sent evidence that they are not neutral."
Russian sliders have been trying for several days, through an office in
Kazakhstan, to get visas that would allow them to enter the U.S. The luge World
Cups in the U.S. --- this weekend in Park City, next weekend in Lake Placid ---
are part of a five-race Olympic qualifying series, which started with a
competition at the Olympic venue in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy last month.
The Russians were allowed to compete there and crossed paths with the
Ukrainians. It was not a World Cup event and wasn't open to spectators. No
Russian finished better than 19th there, which didn't exactly get the Olympic
quest off to a flying start.
U.S. luge athlete Ashley Farquharson said she found herself sitting a room at
the track, getting ready to race when she noticed that the other sliders
alongside her were Russians and Ukrainians.
"It was a little awkward," Farquharson said. "I think they all felt the same
way."
The State Department generally doesn't comment on individual visa situations
and did not confirm that the Russian applications were approved. It did,
however, offer this statement: "We are doing everything possible to support
major international sporting events hosted by the United States without
sacrificing our national security."
Meanwhile, the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said the nine
athletes --- along with nine support staff such as coaches and a doctor ---
have been declared neutral and should be allowed to compete in certain women's
skeleton, men's skeleton and women's monobob events. They are not competing at
Lillehammer, Norway, this weekend and could have up to four World Cup
opportunities before the Olympics, with race weekends upcoming in Sigulda,
Latvia; St. Moritz, Switzerland; Winterberg, Germany; and Altenberg, Germany.
As is the case with the luge athletes, the Russians in bobsled and skeleton
will have a very tough time qualifying for the Olympics.
The IOC has indicated that it wants Russians to have the opportunity to compete
as neutral athletes at the Milan Cortina Games. However, each sport's own
federation controls the qualifying events. In events like skiing, snowboarding,
bobsled, skeleton and luge, governing bodies originally refused to allow any
Russians to take part, then amended those decisions after appeals.
If the Russians get into a World Cup --- or the Olympics --- they would be
competing as "Individual Neutral Athletes" and not under their homeland's flag.
And even if they compete in Lake Placid, the path to Olympic qualifying may
still be very murky. The two remaining Olympic qualifying races after Lake
Placid are in Latvia and Germany, and obtaining visas to enter those countries
may be difficult for the Russians.
"I've always been proud to represent my country," Dukach said. "It's even more
important now."
___
AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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