Russian lugers plan to compete at Lake Placid

Ukrainian athletes believe they shouldn’t be allowed at World Cup race next week.

- By Tim REYNOLDS.

Russian athletes told the International Luge Federation (FIL) they obtained visas and are coming to the U.S. for a World Cup race next weekend, a move that Ukrainian athletes believe is simply unfair.

And it might not be long before Russians are competing on the bobsled and skeleton circuits again as well, with the federation that runs those sports releasing a list Friday of nine cleared athletes — two bobsledders and seven skeleton sliders.

The Russian luge team — about six athletes — is planning to compete in Lake Placid, N.Y., in an effort to boost fledgling hopes of qualifying for the Milan Cortina Olympics that are coming in February. Russia is not racing at this weekend’s World Cup luge competition in Park City despite some claims from Russian officials in recent days that they would be there.

Russia has not had its athletes compete in a World Cup luge race since that country invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago. The war rages on, and now Ukrainian athletes are bracing for the likelihood of crossing paths with Russians in competition. It’s of no consolation to the Ukrainian sliders that the Russians — if they arrive — will be competing as neutral athletes and not under their nation’s flag.

“They are not neutral,” Ukrainian luge athlete Anton Dukach said. “They support war.”

Dukach is Ukraine’s top Olympic hopeful in luge. He believes that if he hadn't made it into a shelter in time, he would have been killed two years ago when a Russian rocket hit his apartment. Some of his neighbors died in that attack, he said.