Russian hockey players will play in the same group with the United States if admitted to the 2026 Olympic Games
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The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has published the preliminary program for the group stages of the 2026 Winter Olympics (.pdf). The Russian national team was assigned to Group C with the note “theoretical seeding position in the event of a decision to return the team to the championship program.”
Together with the Russian hockey team in group C Team USA was included. The other two teams in the group will be determined based on the results of qualification.
IN group A included the teams of Canada, Sweden, Switzerland and Italy. Group B The teams of Finland, Germany and the Czech Republic made up the team; the last participant in the group will be determined based on the results of the qualifications.
The Belarusian national team, if admitted, will take part in the final stage of the qualifying tournament, which will be held from August 29 to September 1, 2024. Team China will play Teams UK and Romania in the third round of qualifying, which will take place from 8-11 February 2024. The International Hockey Federation does not specify who will take the places of the Russian and Belarus national teams in the event of exclusion from the Olympics.
In March 2022, following the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that athletes from Russia and Belarus be barred from international tournaments. The national teams of Russia and Belarus, by decision of the IIHF, following the recommendations of the IOC, missed the 2022 and 2023 world championships, and will also not compete at the 2024 world championship in Prague and Ostrava, Czech Republic. On March 22, the IIHF announced the extension of restrictions for the Russian and Belarusian national teams to participate in international tournaments for the 2023/24 season.
Read more about IOC sanctions in the Kommersant publication. “Olympic Committee – Russia”.
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