Russian Junior Curlers to Return to Competition

After years of banishment from global curling tournaments, World Curling has announced Russian and Belarusian junior curlers will be allowed to compete on the international stage.

The decision follows a recommendation of the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board at their Olympic Summit last December, which stated that junior athletes should not be held accountable for the actions of their governments.

The World Curling board engaged in “comprehensive discussion regarding this recommendation,” according to a news release, leading to today’s announcement.

Canada will be the first host site to witness the return of young Russian curlers, at the 2026 World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Edmonton, Alta. this coming May.

World Curling reports the Russian Curling Federation have indicated they will enter a mixed doubles pair in that event.

Adult Russian and Belarusian curling athletes remain banned form the sport, first after the fallout of the Sochi 2014 Olympics doping scandal followed by Russia’s invasion of mainland Ukraine in Feb. 2022.

“The existing event exclusion will remain in place for the adult athletes at this time and will be reviewed by World Curling following member consultations at the Open Meetings being held in Geneva in April,” said World Curling.

Russia has captured three world junior curling championship titles in team fours play, all on the women’s side – in 2006 (Liudmila Privivkova), 2013 (Alina Kovaleva) and 2019 (Vlada Rumiansteva).

Heading into next week’s 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games, 20 Russian and Belarusian athletes have been approved to compete under Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) status in the sports of ski and snowboard and skating. Summer sports that have allowed AIN status are aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, fencing, archery and some combat sports.

The combat sports of boxing and judo recently allowed full Russian and Belarusian participation in their competitions.