Canada Accused of Denying Russian Visas for World Curling Championship

A top Russian curling official says Russian curlers are missing the World Junior Mixed Doubles Championship, now underway in Edmonton, Alta., due to Canadian government visa denials. 

The accusation came from Dmitry Svishchev, president of the Russian Curling Federation, in a statement issued by the state-run TASS news agency.

On May 4, World Curling confirmed the absence of the Russian team – Elizaveta Kiselova and her teammate Andrey Ilin – from the competition which started May 5. 

“Following delays with the visa application process, the Russian Curling Federation are unable to compete in the (championship) taking place in Edmonton, Canada,” read a World Curling statement.

Russia was originally scheduled to compete against Hungary in their first match today at Saville Curling, a dedicated curling facility within the Saville Community Sports Centre.

“We are forced to acknowledge the fact of a gross violation of international sporting norms and the principles of the Olympic Charter by the Canadian authorities,” Svishchev told TASS.

“Despite the official admission of Russian juniors by the World Curling Federation and our full compliance with all regulatory requirements, the Russian junior mixed doubles team has been disqualified from participating in the World Championships... due to Canada’s cynical delays in issuing visas. 

“What we are facing is not a bureaucratic delay, but a deliberate political act directed against Russian youth by the host country. Using immigration procedures as a tool of diplomatic pressure is unacceptable in a civilized world.” 

A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada could not be reached at time of publication. But in a later statement, the department said “visa applications are considered on a case-by-case basis based on the information presented by the applicant.

“It is important to keep in mind that all clients who submit an application to Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) are subject to comply with eligibility and admissibility requirements, as part of the process, regardless of their nationality.”

Svishchev, a member of the Russian state parliament, is himself under sanctions imposed by Canada, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

In late January, World Curling announced Russian and Belarusian junior curling athletes would be permitted to return to competition. The decision followed a recommendation of the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board, which stated that junior athletes should not be held accountable for the actions of their governments. 

Russia’s adult curling athletes remain banned from all competitions. Those sport-specific sanctions began in 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“This tournament was a step toward Russian curling’s return to the international arena after a forced hiatus,” Svishchev’s statement continued. “Instead of a competitive sport, we saw a demonstration of political bias. Frankly, we expected this outcome, but we were hoping for common sense from the Canadian authorities.”

Svischev also called on World Curling to reconsider its choice of host countries for international competitions.

“The Russian junior curling team remains in Moscow, but we have not abandoned hope of achieving justice through international courts. We strongly urge the WCF to reconsider the format of holding tournaments in countries where sports rights are subject to political censorship. Today, I sent a letter to the WCF asking them to look into the situation and take action.”

It was Russia that was first punished for its government’s military aggression with the removal of a World Curling event hosting honour in 2022, followed quickly by banishment from world and European curling championships.

As for the athletes, one is believed to have publicly supported the war in Ukraine in a social media post.

This according to Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, a pro-Ukraine activist who was banned from competing at the Olympic Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo for his refusal to adhere to IOC guidelines on “Athlete Expression.”

Heraskevych had insisted on competing with a helmet designed with 24 images of Ukrainian athletes killed in the Russian invasion.

On Apr. 29, Heraskevych posted an image of Kiselova in a group of young Russians, all of whom were allegedly wearing the St. George’s ribbon – a symbol of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

“Huge respect to Canada for its correct and honourable decision not to issue visas to Russian athletes who support the war and serve as a propaganda tool for Russia,” Heraskevych posted yesterday.

“I very much hope that similar decisions will be made by more countries, and we will see less Russian propaganda in international sports.”

The curling visa situation was announced on the day Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a European Union summit in Yerevan, Armenia, and pledged new military support to Ukraine in the amount of $270 million. 

Nigeria soon became the second team to miss the Edmonton competition; that pair of athletes withdrew for what World Curling called “a last minute personal issue” and the competition schedule was adjusted.

The championship runs through the semifinals and final on May 10, and can be viewed free on YouTube.