Russian teams remain barred from competing at Milan-Cortina Olympics next February

Russian teams, including the country's powerful hockey side, remain banned from competing at the Milano-Cortina Olympics next February as part of sanctions imposed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the International Olympic Committee said Tuesday.

The IOC was responding to reports out of Russia that hockey officials from the country had held talks with the International Ice Hockey Federation over Olympic participation.

"The IOC executive board recommendation from March 2023 with regard to teams of athletes with a Russian passport remains in place," the IOC said.

"It is based on the fact that, by definition, a group of Individual Neutral Athletes cannot be considered a team. We take note that the IIHF has confirmed that it will follow this recommendation.

A small number of individual Russian and Belarusian athletes could take part in the Paris 2024 Olympics last summer after rigorous vetting by the IOC.

They competed without the Russian or Belarusian flag and anthem. Instead they took part as neutral athletes. All Russian teams were banned. Belarus has acted as a staging ground for the invasion.

Four Russian figure skaters in men's and women's singles were recently approved by the International Skating Union to try to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics as neutral athletes.

Russian hockey players won gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea and silver four years later in Beijing.

The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee in October 2023 for recognizing regional Olympic councils for Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine — Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

"This [October 2023] recommendation was made after consultations with the International Federations concerned and the other Olympic Movement stakeholders," the IOC said.

"This position reflects the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee because of its annexation of regional sports organizations on the territory of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine."

"Such action constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognized by the IOC in accordance with the Olympic Charter," the Olympic body said.

The Olympics in Italy run from February 6-22.