Russia is back in the ice hockey world championships after sports court ruling
Katherine oversees editorial operations across all six brands. Before joining The Meridan Group, she spent 14 years at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she led the metro desk through its digital transformation. She holds a Master's in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School.
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Russia teams must be allowed to play International Ice Hockey Federation events such as the world championships, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Friday.CAS overturned IIHF decisions which excluded Russia from events in the 2026-27 season including the men’s and women’s world championships. The ruling is a notable win for Russia against efforts to bar it from international sports due to the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin is a noted hockey fan who has previously played exhibition games with former stars.Russia's return throws into uncertainty how the men's world championship will work next year in Germany, given that Ukraine has also qualified.Ruling cites lack of evidence on securityIn a brief statement, CAS cited a lack of sufficient evidence to support the IIHF’s security concerns.CAS said its ruling did not address issues such as whether Russia should be required to play without national symbols as a team of neutral athletes, as in some other Olympic spo