Russia Page 1 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

IOC paves way for Russia's return at 2028 LA Olympics
The International Olympic Committee set the stage for Russian athletes to return to competition under their own flag in the 2028 Summer Olympics at Los Angeles, The Athletic reported Tuesday.,The Russian Olympic Committee has been under suspension since 2023 following the country's invasion of Ukrai...

IOC lifts restrictions on athletes from Belarus
Athletes from Belarus have been reinstated by the International Olympic Committee Executive board after they were banned from competing under the country's flag following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.,The decision, which was announced by the IOC on Thursday, does not pertain to athletes from...

Japan’s Nakai on top after women’s short program; Russian dazzles in debut
MILAN -- Japan's Ami Nakai grabbed a surprise lead after the short program at the Olympic women's figure skating competition on Tuesday, edging a field that produced a string of high-quality performances.,The 17-year-old landed a triple Axel in a spirited skate and posted a season-best 78.71 in her ...

Russia’s Petrosian brings big jumps, bigger unknowns to Olympic debut
MILAN -- Russian teenager Adeliia Petrosian heads into her Olympic debut on Tuesday as an untested but technically loaded Olympic wild card, with former skaters saying her quad jumps and triple Axel firepower could put her on the podium if she delivers.,She is largely untested on the global stage du...

Ukrainian athlete says IOC banned helmet showing those killed in war
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy -- Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych said on Monday a helmet he has used in training at the Milan Cortina Games with images of compatriots killed during the war in Ukraine cannot be used in Olympic competition after being told by the IOC that it violates a rul...

FIFA president Gianni Infantino favors ending Russia ban
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he supports the reinstatement of Russia and called for an end to the country's four-year exclusion from international tournaments.,FIFA barred Russia from competition when its ongoing invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Russia was expelled from that year'...

2026 Olympics allowing Russians to compete as AINs again
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) laid to rest any remaining confusion over the status of Russian and Belarusian athletes Friday, announcing that individual athletes would be allowed to compete at the 2026 Olympics in Italy, though once again not under the banners of their home countries.,In...

IIHF president: IOC to keep Russia out of 2026 Games
The president of the International Ice Hockey Federation told reporters that the International Olympic Committee plans to exclude Russia from the 2026 Winter Olympics.,Luc Tardif was quoted Sunday by HockeyNews.se and Hokej.cz on the topic of Russian participation in future events -- chiefly the nex...

World Cup of Hockey set to return in 2028
As hockey fans prepared to watch their favorite NHL players take part in the 4 Nations Face-Off, the first best-on-best tournament since 2016, they received more good news ahead of puck drop.,The World Cup of Hockey will return in 2028, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced at the Bell Centre in a...

Brittney Griner welcomes release of Americans in prisoner swap
LILLE, France -- U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was released from detention in Russia in a prisoner swap in 2022, has welcomed the return of Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan in a similar deal on Thursday.,Journalist Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Whelan were released by Ru...

Russia’s name, flag, and anthem banned for the next two Olympics, athletes to compete as ‘neutral’ . . . again.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Thursday that Russia cannot use its name, flag, or anthem in the next two Olympics or in any world championship for two years....

This Should Be Good: Russia Has To Explain How Positive Drug Tests Got Deleted From Its Doping Laboratory Data
Russia has three weeks to explain how positive drug test results were deleted from data sent to the World Anti-Doping Agency, which is still investigating Russia’s intricate years-long doping scheme that involving passing urine samples through a secret hole in a laboratory wall and got the country s...

Zenit Supporters Unfurl Racist Banner To Protest The Signing Of A Black Player
During a match between Zenit St. Petersburg and FC Krasnodar, Zenit supporters revealed a banner with a message to those at the head of their club that read (roughly translated): “Thank you leadership for loyalty to traditions.” The sarcastic statement was made in response to the club signing ex-Bar...

Artemi Panarin Becomes Highest-Profile Russian Athlete To Criticize Vladimir Putin
The New York Rangers’ marquee free-agent signing of the summer, Artemi Panarin, gave an interview that posted on Thursday where he did something unprecedented for a Russian athlete of his caliber: criticize President Vladimir Putin. ...

Russian Weightlifter's Lower Leg Bones Go Kerblooey During Ill-Fated 250-Kilogram Squat
The setting for this horrifying video is the Eurasian Weightlifting Championship, held May 19 in Khabarovsk in southeastern Russia. The central figure is 20-year-old Russian weightlifter Yaroslav Radashkevich, who is attempting to squat 250 kilograms, or about 551 pounds. The weight turns out to ha...

This Sport In Russia Is Two Guys Just Slapping The Hell Out Of Each Other
In addition to the standard bodybuilding competitions, dumpling eating contests, and dance battles, the Siberian Power Show last weekend in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, also hosted a “Sport slapping tournament for men,” with 30,000 rubles ($465) at stake. The event may have cribbed the idea from the Saryche...

This Furry With Abs Is The Creepiest Mascot In Sports
Sports team mascots are creepy as a general rule. It comes with the territory to a certain extent, but I can’t really think of one that I don’t find terrifying or at least moderately disquieting. It’s probably something to do with the disproportionate ratio of head-size to body. But at least most o...

José Mourinho Eats Shit At Russian Hockey Game
Unemployed soccer manager José Mourinho is currently in Russia for some reason, and decided to take in a KHL game today. While performing the pre-game ceremonial puck drop, Mourinho managed to do in his first appearance on ice what it usually takes him three seasons to do when coaching a soccer team...

The IOC Graciously Takes Credit For Improved Relationship On Korean Peninsula
The international sports cartel better known as the IOC released its annual statement about the year that was and what’s to come in 2019 and it’s very much like the IOC itself: bloated, self-congratulatory, and devoid of substance....

The Strange Career Of Jeff Monson, American MMA Fighter Turned Russian Politician
On September 9, 2018, American mixed martial arts fighter Jeff Monson became a government official in the Russian Federation. The former UFC title challenger, who was granted Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin less than four months earlier, was elected to a council of deputies in the ci...