Degtyarev spoke about Kyiv's influence on IBSF decision to bar Russians from the Olympics

The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation Congress has barred Russians from international competitions in the new season

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The Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Mikhail Degtyarev stated that the actions of the Ukrainian side had a decisive influence on the decision of the Congress of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) to deny admission of Russian athletes to international competitions. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Sports of Russia, citing the position of the Minister and the President of the Olympic Committee of the country.
During the IBSF congress held in Milan on Friday, the organization decided not to allow Russian athletes to return to tournaments under its leadership in the 2025/26 season.
Degtyarev described the congress's decision as politically motivated and unfair, noting that the decisive role in the voting results was played by a provocation on the Ukrainian side - a demonstration of a presentation based on personal attacks and accusations that do not correspond to the essence of the issue under discussion.
The minister also pointed out that small countries that do not have significant achievements in bobsleigh and skeleton voted against the Russian side, for whom the exclusion of one of the world leaders means weakening competition. According to him, this decision is not based on the principles of Olympism and the protection of athletes' rights, but on the political interests and strategic calculations of individual states.
The selection of athletes for participation in the Olympic Games is based on the IBSF rating, formed based on the results of performances in tournaments sanctioned by the federation. Quotas for participation are distributed through national Olympic committees. The qualification period will end on January 18, after which the IBSF will redistribute unused quotas from January 22 to 25.
Read the article on the topic: The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation's decision on the selection for the Olympic Games has been announced
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