World Curling extends ban on Russian seniors until end of 2026, juniors remain allowed to return
World Curling has decided to maintain the exclusion of Russian senior athletes from its international competitions at least until the end of 2026, confirming that the rules for the adult category remain unchanged following the latest review. The decision was made on 10 August by the Executive Board of the international federation, and World Curling publicly announced it the following day. The federation, whose administrative headquarters are located in Perth, Scotland, stated that in making its decision it took into account the latest guidelines of the International Olympic Committee, the views of its member associations and feedback from competition organisers in 2026. According to World Curling's explanation, the return of Russian senior teams at this time would create serious challenges for the integrity of competitions, as well as for the obligation of organisers to ensure a safe and fair sporting environment. At the same time, the earlier decision allowing Russian and Belarusian juniors to return to the international stage remains in force.
World Curling did not announce a new model of neutral status for Russian seniors, but instead decided to maintain the existing exclusion. This clearly distinguishes the position of seniors from that of Russian and Belarusian juniors, who were granted the right to return at the beginning of 2026.
Board cited integrity, safety and fairness of competitions
In a statement dated 11 August, World Curling said that the decision had been made following a Board meeting held the previous day. As key elements of its assessment, the federation highlighted the IOC's latest guidelines, the opinions of its national member associations and feedback from competition hosts during 2026. The Board concluded that the reintegration of Russian senior athletes could create significant difficulties for the integrity of competitions and that, for this reason, changing the current position was not sustainable. At the same time, the federation emphasised its responsibility to ensure that competitions are organised in a safe and fair environment, showing that it formally bases the decision on competition management rather than solely on the broader political context.
This reasoning follows the legal and regulatory framework that World Curling has applied since 2022. Following the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, federation members adopted rule C1(b) in September 2022, giving the Board the ability to remove a team or member association from a competition if it determines that its presence could harm the event, endanger the safety of participants or disrupt the orderly conduct of the competition. World Curling then excluded Russian and Belarusian teams until the end of 2022, and the decision was subsequently extended several times. In later announcements, the federation regularly cited concerns expressed by members and athletes as well as the possible impact of a return on the integrity of events. The current decision for the remainder of 2026 therefore represents a continuation of a policy lasting several years, but with an important change introduced for the junior category.
Change in IOC policy did not automatically open the door to Russian seniors
The context of the decision changed significantly on 7 July 2026, when the IOC Executive Board provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee that had been in force since October 2023. The IOC also announced at that time that its earlier recommended restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes and teams were no longer applicable in the same way. According to the official explanation, the decision was taken following a legal analysis and confirmation that the Russian Olympic Committee no longer included among its members regional sports organisations from territories under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee. The IOC also stressed that it would continue to monitor the situation and that Russian athletes returning to international competitions must meet the relevant anti-doping requirements.
However, that IOC decision did not mean that all international federations were obliged to immediately readmit Russian athletes to their competitions. In its July announcement, the IOC itself acknowledged that international federations had implemented the previous recommendations in different ways, depending on their own statutes, rules and the specific characteristics of each sport. In practice, approaches ranged from full reintegration, through participation under neutral conditions, to the continuation of a complete ban. World Curling has now chosen the latter option when it comes to Russian seniors. In doing so, it has shown that it takes the IOC's latest guidelines into account but does not interpret them as an obligation to immediately lift its own exclusion.
The Belarusian context is also important. As early as 7 May 2026, the IOC announced that it no longer recommended restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, in competitions organised by international federations. In World Curling's January decision, the return of juniors covered both Russia and Belarus, while the latest statement of 11 August explicitly concerns Russian senior athletes. Therefore, broader conclusions about the status of all Belarusian senior teams should not be drawn from the current announcement without an additional official decision by the federation. What has been confirmed is that Russian seniors remain excluded until the end of 2026 and that the junior exception remains separate from that ban.
Juniors from Russia and Belarus were approved to return in January
On 30 January 2026, World Curling confirmed that Russian and Belarusian juniors could once again compete in international competitions. The decision followed an IOC recommendation and a discussion at the Olympic Summit held in December 2025, where the principle was emphasised that young athletes should not bear the consequences of the actions of their governments. The IOC then supported an approach under which young athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports should no longer be restricted in their access to international junior competitions, in both individual and team sports. At the same time, international federations were left to define what constitutes a junior category in their systems and how they would implement the recommendation in practice.
World Curling accepted this direction and announced that the new eligibility would apply starting with the 2026 World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Edmonton, Canada. In the same announcement, the federation stressed that the exclusion of adult athletes remained in force and that their position would be reconsidered following consultations with member associations. Thus, a dual regime had already been established at the beginning of the year: junior athletes were given the opportunity to return, while seniors remained outside the system of World Curling's international competitions. The August decision confirms that this model will remain in force at least until the end of the 2026 calendar year for Russian seniors.
Eligibility to compete, however, does not mean guaranteed participation in every event. Teams must still meet sporting and administrative requirements and obtain the documents needed to travel to the host country, as became apparent during the first expected appearance of Russian juniors.
Russian junior pair did not make it to Edmonton due to visa delays
The World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Edmonton was supposed to be the first World Curling event in May following the decision to allow Russian juniors to return. The Russian Curling Federation announced the participation of its pair, but on 4 May World Curling stated that the team would not be able to participate due to delays in the visa issuance process. Under the competition rules, the Russian team was initially assigned DNS status, meaning it did not start, and its matches were to be recorded as forfeits with victories awarded to the opponents. After Nigeria also withdrew for a separate reason, the schedule was further revised and both teams were removed from the schedule and the list of participants.
World Curling's official wording is important for accurately describing the case: the federation cited delays in the visa process, not an officially confirmed ban on participation imposed by sporting bodies. Russian representatives publicly claimed that this constituted unacceptable treatment by the Canadian authorities, but World Curling did not confirm such a political interpretation in its official announcement. For that reason, the Edmonton event can primarily be described as an example of the difference between formal sporting eligibility and the practical ability to enter the host country. The sporting ban on juniors had been lifted, but that alone did not resolve border, visa and travel issues.
For future junior competitions, this remains a relevant issue. World Curling has scheduled the 2026 World Junior-B Curling Championships in Lohja, Finland, for December, and the existing decision allows Russian and Belarusian juniors to participate if they meet the qualification and administrative requirements. At present, however, it is not possible to state in advance which specific teams will be entered or whether new difficulties with travel documents will arise. Junior status should therefore be distinguished from the actual line-up of each individual tournament.
Ban on senior teams has been in place since 2022 and has been extended several times
In September 2022, following earlier measures introduced that same year, World Curling confirmed on the basis of the newly adopted rule C1(b) that Russian and Belarusian teams would not participate in its competitions until 31 December. The rule allowed the Board to intervene because of risks to the event, the safety of participants or the orderly conduct of the competition, and it also provided that excluded teams at tournaments would be replaced by the next eligible national teams according to qualification results or the world ranking. In December 2022, the exclusion was extended until the end of the 2022/2023 season, followed by further extensions during 2023, 2024 and at the beginning of 2025. In its explanations, the federation regularly referred to concerns related to the war in Ukraine, the integrity of competitions and safety.
In January 2025, World Curling extended the ban on Russia and Belarus until the end of the 2024/2025 season, stating that it continued to monitor the views of its members and athletes, as well as the actions of other international sports organisations. During 2026, the policy then became more differentiated: juniors from the two countries were allowed to return, while Russian seniors were not granted the same right. The latest decision shows that World Curling no longer applies a single rule to all age categories, but assesses their status separately. For Russian senior teams, however, the result remains the same as in previous years — no return to World Curling competitions before the end of 2026, unless a new federation decision or legal proceedings change the existing situation in the meantime.
Such status is directly relevant to the international calendar at the end of the year. World Curling has scheduled the 2026 European Curling Championships in Ostrava, Czechia, from 27 October to 1 November, while the 2026/2027 season also brings a revised structure of qualification competitions. As long as the decision of 10 August remains in force, Russian senior athletes cannot participate in World Curling senior events during the remainder of 2026. Any change before then would depend on a new decision by the international federation or on the legal consequences of arbitration proceedings.
Russian Curling Federation challenges exclusion before CAS
The most important unresolved legal element of the entire case is before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. In its August statement, World Curling confirmed that the Russian Curling Federation is conducting proceedings before CAS over its exclusion from competitions and that the arbitration court's decision is expected soon. In that public announcement, however, the federation did not provide a precise date for the publication of the award or describe in detail the claims of the Russian federation. For this reason, it is currently not possible to reliably state exactly what effect a future CAS decision could have on the calendar or on the conditions for a possible return.
Rulings in other sports do not automatically mean the same legal outcome in curling, because arbitration proceedings depend on the rules and facts of each individual case. For now, World Curling's official decision remains in force: Russian seniors are excluded until the end of 2026, and on 11 August the federation stated that the arbitration proceedings were still ongoing.
International sport still has no single model for returning athletes
Developments in curling fit into a broader change in international sports policy during 2025 and 2026. In December 2025, the IOC placed greater emphasis on the right of young athletes to access international competitions without being held responsible for the decisions of their governments, and in May and July 2026 it further eased previously recommended restrictions for Belarus and Russia. At the same time, it clearly left room for international federations to apply their own rules and assess conditions for participation in their sports. World Curling used that room by opening the door to junior categories while maintaining the ban on Russian seniors.
For this reason, the coming months will be important on two levels. At the sporting level, it will become clear whether the junior return can be implemented without new administrative and organisational obstacles, while the legal level will depend on the CAS decision in the dispute between the Russian Curling Federation and World Curling. Until then, the rules for the two groups differ substantially: Russian and Belarusian juniors have the formal right to return to World Curling international competitions, while Russian senior athletes remain excluded from them at least until 31 December 2026.
Sources:
- World Curling – Board decision of 10 August and continuation of the exclusion of Russian senior athletes until the end of 2026. (link)
- World Curling – decision on the return of Russian and Belarusian juniors to international competitions from January 2026. (link)
- World Curling – official announcement on the absence of the Russian team from the World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Edmonton due to delays in the visa process. (link)
- World Curling – September 2022 decision to continue the exclusion of Russia and Belarus until the end of the year and application of rule C1(b). (link)
- World Curling – extension of the exclusion until the end of the 2024/2025 season and explanation of the federation's policy. (link)
- World Curling – information on the organisation's administrative headquarters in Perth, Scotland. (link)
- World Curling – schedule and format of the 2026 European Curling Championships in Ostrava. (link)
- World Curling – information on the 2026 World Junior-B Curling Championships in Lohja. (link)
- International Olympic Committee – provisional lifting of the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and change to previously recommended conditions for Russian athletes. (link)
- International Olympic Committee – conclusions of the December 2025 Olympic Summit on access of Russian and Belarusian juniors to international competitions. (link)
- International Olympic Committee – May 2026 decision to lift recommended restrictions on Belarusian athletes. (link)