Russian teams will remain banned from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed Tuesday. ❌🇷🇺⁣ •⁣ This decision reinforces the ongoing sanctions imposed after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and comes in response to recent reports that Russian hockey officials had been in talks with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) regarding potential participation. 👀⁣ •⁣ The IIHF has also confirmed it will follow the IOC’s recommendation, which means Russia’s storied Olympic hockey program — gold medalists in 2018 and silver medalists in 2022 — will not be on the ice next February in Italy. 🏒⁣ •⁣ While some individual athletes from Russia and Belarus may still compete in Paris 2024 and Milano-Cortina 2026 under strict conditions — including no flag, anthem, or team affiliation — they must be approved as neutral athletes following rigorous IOC vetting. 👀⁣ •⁣ Four Russian figure skaters have recently been cleared by the Internatio...