
A heavyweight at a standstill. Titled at PyeongChang 2018 and silver medallists at Beijing 2022, Russian hockey players are waiting to find out whether they will be able to defend their chances at the 2026 Milan-Cortina GamesThe women's team, also qualified on paper, is in the same situation. The president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luc Tardif (pictured above), sent an opening message at a press conference in Ottawa on the sidelines of the world junior championships. "As far as we are concerned, we want their return as soon as possible because if they come back, it will mean that the war is over.", he said. However, time is running out since The tournament will start on February 5, 2026. "We have to see what happens in the next two months., continues Luc Tardif. We will wait as long as possible, but we must take a decision in February to give the organizers the opportunity to set the schedule of games, to know who is coming to the Olympics, to promote and plan everything that needs to be planned. The IOC will also have to make decisions. We will analyze everything next month." Information to remember: the question will therefore be decided before the election of the new IOC president.