ISU to allow "neutral" skaters from RUS/BLR to compete at 2026 Olympics

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

He believes that anyone who trains with Tutberidze will be ineligible because they were previously associated with a skater who is now banned. However, I suspect that it will be the same as for other sports - they will only be ineligible if they have associated with the skater during her ban, or if they have publicly supported the war. Tutberidze has been careful to ensure that her current skaters do not associate with the banned one. Time will tell, but a lot of Americans seem to be taking a very rigid interpretation of what is meant by being associated with a banned skater, and which I suspect will prove to be incorrect.

This is surely ridiculous if that keeps Petrosian in consideration by not hanging out/training/ice shows/etc. with Valieva. because the common denominator associating Valieva with Petrosian IS Tutberidze. And Tutberidze's camp is clearly complicit in the doping scandal. It doesn't get more "associated with" than that.

Not that the ISU has particularly great judgment at reading the room, but what the world will think of the legitimacy of the women's event if they allow any of Tutberidze's skaters to compete after the Valieva mess in literally the most recent Olympics?

I struggle to see what benefit the ISU gets out of it and how that outweighs the inevitable backlash, mockery, and outrage. It's setting up a (presumably) clean skater like Petrosian for all the "Oh she won/medalled? She must have been doping/cheating/etc." comments. Not to mention, this provision to allow Russia with some AIN euphemism to compete, is just plain weird in general, and trivializes any endeavours to sanction them for the war or continual doping infractions.

 

[FlossieH]

This is surely ridiculous if that keeps Petrosian in consideration by not hanging out/training/ice shows/etc. with Valieva. because the common denominator associating Valieva with Petrosian IS Tutberidze. And Tutberidze's camp is clearly complicit in the doping scandal. It doesn't get more "associated with" than that.

Not that the ISU has particularly great judgment at reading the room, but what the world will think of the legitimacy of the women's event if they allow any of Tutberidze's skaters to compete after the Valieva mess in literally the most recent Olympics?

I struggle to see what benefit the ISU gets out of it and how that outweighs the inevitable backlash, mockery, and outrage. It's setting up a (presumably) clean skater like Petrosian for all the "Oh she won/medalled? She must have been doping/cheating/etc." comments. Not to mention, this provision to allow Russia with some AIN euphemism to compete, is just plain weird in general, and trivializes any endeavours to sanction them for the war or continual doping infractions.

The IOC has told the ISU that they have to allow Russian and BLR skaters to compete as AINs at the Winter Olympics. It is not the ISU's decision. Having figure skating at the Olympics probably matters a lot more to the ISU than it does to the IOC. Going against the IOC's request could increase the risk of figure skating getting deselected from the Winter Olympics in the future. Snow sports seem to attract a lot more interest/coverage and adding new events there would require events to be cut elsewhere. It is probably in the ISU's interests to keep the IOC happy.

 

[Mathman]

This is surely ridiculous if that keeps Petrosian in consideration...

I believe the opposite. If the decision has been made to invite skaters from Russia, then to me it would be ridiculous to say, "but you can;t send your national champion because as a junior she knew (and presumably looked up to) her accomplished rink-mate of a couple of years ago.

As for the argument that the ISU shouldn't let Petrosian compete because people might gossip on the Internet about her... well.. who's running the show, the organ grinder or the monkeys?

 

[gmyers]

She has never skated while wearing a Z so Petrosyan has never explicitly supported the war as far as I know. But explicit isn’t the only thing that’s banned. So is implicit. So what is implicit? Channel one cup is on a sanctioned TV station. Russian nationals was sponsored by sanctioned companies. Implicit needs to be defined. And it could be defined to exclude anyone Russia wants! Total and complete silence on war or doping could be implicit support of both.

 

[Jontor]

When I was doing chores the YouTube algorithm brought up The Skating Lesson and I did not turn it off. It was Dave with a guest Maya (sorry I don't know her last name). It was not that bad, which surprised the heck out of me. Of course I had no idea who they were talking about most of the time. (I did recognize Kondratiuk and Stepanova/Bukin).

Much of the conversation centered on which skaters would meet the ISU guidelines. They both thought Petrosian might not be approved by the ISU as she did not qualify for the guidelines, hence she is risky. (don't know enough about the coaches or events they were discussing to say why they thought that.)

That is just Dave being Dave and interpreting the rules in his drama ways. His conclusion is that Petrosian is not eligible as she has the same coaches as Valieva had. Which is outrageously overthinking it imo. There is no official association of the Valieva case and the coaches. And you can't ban someone based purely on speculation.

 

[Minz]

That is just Dave being Dave and interpreting the rules in his drama ways. His conclusion is that Petrosian is not eligible as she has the same coaches as Valieva had. Which is outrageously overthinking it imo. There is no official association of the Valieva case and the coaches. And you can't ban someone based purely on speculation.

I'm not exactly sure what Dave said, but theoretically, the coaches could disqualify her because of the connection with Shevetsky, who has been suspended in the past for doping violations. I'm not entirely sure, but it might not be as outrageous of an idea as you might think.

 

[Kittosuni]

When is the deadline to submit names to ISU? The latest to submit names to ISU is Feb 28 but it doesnt say when is the deadline.

 

[dorispulaski]

Is Doctor Shevetsky still associated with Tutberidze's group? If not, did he leave before or after Valieva's ban?

If he is still there, anyone in that camp is likely not eligible.

 

[AlexBreeze]

Is Doctor Shevetsky still associated with Tutberidze's group?

No.

If not, did he leave before or after Valieva's ban?

Before. Way before.

 

[dorispulaski]

That is good to know!

 

[el henry]

That is just Dave being Dave and interpreting the rules in his drama ways. His conclusion is that Petrosian is not eligible as she has the same coaches as Valieva had. Which is outrageously overthinking it imo. There is no official association of the Valieva case and the coaches. And you can't ban someone based purely on speculation.

As I have said a few times, it was not just Dave (whose hot takes I have disagreed with in the past, and I would have stopped the show had I been closer to my iPad), but his European, Russian speaking guest.

One can disagree with the conclusion of course, but in this case it is not simply "Americans" or "Dave".

Personally, knowing nothing at all about the skaters, I do not think the matter is cut and dried and the ISU will ignore a Tutberidze connection just so we can see the "Best". I think that may be wishful thinking on behalf of those who want to see their fav skaters.

But I have no idea what will happen and neither does anyone else. We are just offering our takes.

 

[Jontor]

As I have said a few times, it was not just Dave (whose hot takes I have disagreed with in the past, and I would have stopped the show had I been closer to my iPad), but his European, Russian speaking guest.

One can disagree with the conclusion of course, but in this case it is not simply "Americans" or "Dave".

Personally, knowing nothing at all about the skaters, I do not think the matter is cut and dried and the ISU will ignore a Tutberidze connection just so we can see the "Best". I think that may be wishful thinking on behalf of those who want to see their fav skaters.

But I have no idea what will happen and neither does anyone else. We are just offering our takes.

She specifically said "I didn't know about this rule" and then she let Dave have his theories.

 

[Minz]

No.


Before. Way before.

He left before they issued the ban but was still around when the positive sample was taken.

But then again they only issued the ban a year ago and it was backdated like 2 years.

 

[Mathman]

I believe that the ISU itself does not know exactly how the details of their ad hoc rules are going to be interpreted in practice. This whole thing seems to be rather hastily thrown together and under duress. I would imagine that they will want to keep thoer options open , for now at least.

 

[VickB]

If Artur Danielian improves and because he had a growth spurt, he won the prestigious European silver medalist and the world juniors silver medalist...
he is of Armenian descent and very likely a neutral athlete.

Vick B

 

[CelticRose22]

Personally I don't see how ISU stops a skater from competing solely on the basis of being coached by Eteri. They have never held an investigation into her or her rink/team which they would have been fully justified post 2022 and Eteri has been granted accreditation at numerous ISU events in the last 3 years and coaches the likes of Egadze.

I am more interested in how strictly they apply the neutrality rules.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Personally I don't see how ISU stops a skater from competing solely on the basis of being coached by Eteri. They have never held an investigation into her or her rink/team which they would have been fully justified post 2022 and Eteri has been granted accreditation at numerous ISU events in the last 3 years and coaches the likes of Egadze.

I am more interested in how strictly they apply the neutrality rules.

I think the doping provision isn’t specifically for Eteri - it’s stated in light of the continuous doping infractions by Russian athletes similar manner as OAR in 2018 due to doping… and ROC in 2022 due to doping.

It just so happens that figure skating was more recently stripped due to a doping violation, and it involved Eteri’s skater - so it obviously seems to be more pointed around her skaters.

I believe the opposite. If the decision has been made to invite skaters from Russia, then to me it would be ridiculous to say, "but you can;t send your national champion because as a junior she knew (and presumably looked up to) her accomplished rink-mate of a couple of years ago.

As for the argument that the ISU shouldn't let Petrosian compete because people might gossip on the Internet about her... well.. who's running the show, the organ grinder or the monkeys?

I’m not saying they shouldn’t let Petrosian compete for what people might say about her — she shouldn’t compete through her very obvious association with Tutberidze, and the context of Tutberidze’s camp/skater at the last Olympics.

Only one coaching team had a skater who was caught for doping and had their figure skating Olympic medal stripped — the first ever Olympic medal stripped in figure skating for doping violation.

So do you honestly think it’s a good idea to allow the same coaching team anywhere near the Olympics? Arguably Nika and Daniel (who himself is in hot water for inadvertently missing three doping checks) shouldn’t compete either but, they don’t hail from Russia (whose athletes AIN was designated for… and ROC… and OAR) so they get a pass, it seems.

 

[Mathman]

So do you honestly think it’s a good idea to allow the same coaching team anywhere near the Olympics?

To me, if the ISU has a beef with Tutberidze then they should bring charges forward against her.

It is harder for me to get behind prohubitting a skater from competitng because of what some other skater is accused of doing. Guilt by association is a slippery slope. If they want to sanction Tutberidze for something that Tutberidze did, so be it. If they want to throw out the whole Russian federation for something that the Russian Federation did, so be it. If they want to snaction the coutry of Russia because of something that that country of Russia did, so be it.

But I have to say that this picking and choosing between the acceptable skaters and the evil ones rubs me the wrong way.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

To me, if the ISU has a beef with Tutberidze then they should bring charges forward against her.

It is harder for me to get behind prohubitting a skater from competitng because of what some other skater is accused of doing. Guilt by association is a slippery slope. If they want to sanction Tutberidze for something that Tutberidze did, so be it. If they want to throw out the whole Russian federation for something that the Russian Federation did, so be it. If they want to snaction the coutry of Russia because of something that that country of Russia did, so be it.

But I have to say that this picking and choosing between the acceptable skaters and the evil ones rubs me the wrong way.

• Nominated Athletes and their support personnel must have not associated in any way with any person serving a period of ineligibility for an Anti-doping rule violation - That could pretty much take out the Tutberidze and Plushenko skaters (and that could actually explain why Kamila has filed a new appeal just a few days ago).

I would imagine “support personnel” would include “coach/coaching team”.

Also I’m not getting your backing of Eteri. Otherwise what - until further investigation of Eteri happens, we are to assume that the doping violation/stripped medal/etc. was all Kamila’s doing since she was the one with the positive test?

It does beg a greater question - when an Olympic medal is/has been stripped due to doping, are there any sanctions/bans/etc. placed on anyone other than the caught athlete?

 

[el henry]

To me, if the ISU has a beef with Tutberidze then they should bring charges forward against her.

It is harder for me to get behind prohubitting a skater from competitng because of what some other skater is accused of doing. Guilt by association is a slippery slope. If they want to sanction Tutberidze for something that Tutberidze did, so be it. If they want to throw out the whole Russian federation for something that the Russian Federation did, so be it. If they want to snaction the coutry of Russia because of something that that country of Russia did, so be it.

But I have to say that this picking and choosing between the acceptable skaters and the evil ones rubs me the wrong way.

It may rub you (and others) the wrong way, but needless to say, that is exactly why the criteria were set forth. Otherwise, they would have just admitted any Russian skater as a neutral athlete, full stop.

If the ISU decides association with Tutberidze is forbidden by the guidelines, the guidelines can be read that way and skaters associated with her will not qualify as "neutral". If not, well, they can be read that way and they will qualify.

A penalty is a penalty when the ref calls it, otherwise it isn't. A time honored sporting tradition.