Milan Cortina 2026, pessimism and suspicion in Russia over treatment toward their athletes

Olympic speed skating champion and State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova did not seem particularly optimistic about sending Russian athletes to the 2026 Winter Olympics. “It is possible that Russians will not win medals. Conditions could arise that would make things extremely difficult. They might not allow coaches and service personnel of skiers to participate. I am not sure that all conditions will be as ideal for the Russians as for everyone else” she noted in an interview granted to Match TV.

Among the Russian athletes to participate in the Five Circles event, but as neutrals, will be skiers Saveliy Korostelev and Darya Nepryaeva, ice speed skaters Ksenia Korzhova and Anastasia Semenova, figure skaters Petr Gumennik and Adelia Petrosyan, ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov and short track skaters Ivan Posashkov and Alena Krylova at the Olympics.

Russian Sports Minister and chairman of the local Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev said the maximum number of Russians in Milan Cortina 2026 will not exceed 13.

At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia initially finished with 33 total medals, the result of 13 gold, 11 silver and 9 bronze medals. Later, the IOC intervened by revoking some of the results obtained. Some medals were then reassigned after appeals were filed with TAS. With the entire judicial and sports process concluded, the final balance awarded to Russia came down to 29 total medals, broken down as follows: 11 golds, 9 silvers and 9 bronzes.

The highest moment in Zhurova’s career came right in Italy: she climbed to the top step of the podium after winning the 500-meter race at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games