The International Luge Federation barred Russian athletes from competing in its sponsored tournaments since March 2022 after the escalation of the situation in Ukraine

MIKE KEEGAN: A ban on Russian athletes was imposed in 2023 following the invasion of Ukraine . As a result, only a tiny number of Russians were able to compete in Paris and Milan.

Ukraine's sports minister Matvii Bidnyi questioned why the IOC altered its rules when in the war “nothing changed. The situation became even worse.”