The International Ice Hockey Federation has annulled the decision to exclude Russians from tournaments, said Russian Minister of Sports Degtyarev. However, the decision does not yet mean the return of Russian hockey players to world sports, clarified the FHR.
The Disciplinary Board of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has annulled the decision of the organization's council to exclude the Russian national teams from competitions, said Russian Minister of Sports Mikhail Degtyarev and the Russian Hockey Federation on Thursday, May 28.
"The decision states that the arguments and risk assessment reports presented by the IIHF did not contain sufficient grounds for extending the suspension on security grounds," Degtyarev claims. The IIHF has not yet commented on this information.
FHR: Do not expect the Russian national team to return to international tournaments soon
However, the cancellation of the decision to suspend Russian hockey players from international competitions "does not mean an immediate return of the Russian national teams to IIHF tournaments," said the Russian Hockey Federation. The final decision on the return of Russian teams will be made based on the IIHF regulations, the organization indicated.
Suspension of the national teams of Russia and Belarus from international competitions
After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the hockey teams of Russia and Belarus, like athletes from these two countries in most other sports, were suspended from international competitions. However, over time, some sports federations began to lift the bans on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Return of Russians and Belarusians to world sports
Thus, in May 2026, the Executive Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) lifted all restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes that had been in place since February 2022. The decision applies to all five disciplines under the Russian Gymnastics Federation: artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, sports acrobatics, and sports aerobics.
After that, the press service of European Gymnastics (EG) also announced the lifting of restrictions on athletes from Russia and Belarus. In response to a DW inquiry, the organization stated that an extraordinary meeting of the EG Executive Committee can only be scheduled after the conclusion of the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship, which is taking place in Varna, Bulgaria, from May 27 to 31. Athletes from Russia and Belarus are already participating in it with their national symbols.
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