Canada has confirmed that it will continue to restrict Russian athletes from competing in sports events hosted in the country that receive federal government funding. The announcement came after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) decision to ban Russian teams from international competitions for the 2026–27 season.
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Canadian officials have opposed Russia’s return, even though the ruling has opened the door for its national teams to compete again. The development has also brought attention back to Russian gymnastics star Angelina Melnikova. She was one of three Russian gymnasts who could not get visas from the Netherlands before the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam.
Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport, Adam van Koeverden, responded to the ruling. “Canada maintains, as it has since 2022, that Russia should not be represented in international sport competitions while Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable full-scale invasion against Ukraine continues,” van Koeverden said in a statement reported by Ben Steiner on X.
“Canada will maintain restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes at events hosted in Canada that receive funding from the Government of Canada and explore further options to ensure that the Russian government is held accountable,” he added.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand also spoke against the CAS ruling. According to a Canadian Press report published by Sportsnet, she said, “We strongly oppose this outcome. We will continue to maintain our own restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes at events hosted in Canada that receive federal funding.”
The Canadian government’s latest statement came after CAS ruled on October 30 that Russia must be allowed to return to IIHF competitions. Russia’s hockey teams have remained suspended from international competitions since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier, Russian gymnastics star Angelina Melnikova faced a similar problem before the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam. The reigning world all-around champion, Angelina Melnikova, along with Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova could not travel to the event after Dutch authorities rejected their visa applications.
The Russian Gymnastics Federation announced on October 13 that Dutch authorities had rejected the visa applications of Melnikova, Viktoria Listunova and Anna Kalmykova. According to the Associated Press, Melnikova was preparing to defend her women’s all-around world title. Meanwhile, Listunova and Melnikova were both part of Russia’s gold-medal-winning team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyaryov also said that officials would contact the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Gymnastics. They wanted the championships to lose their status as a qualifying event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
However, Dutch authorities did not reject every Russian gymnast’s visa application. The Associated Press reported that four other Russian gymnasts received permission to enter the country.
In a statement reported by NBC Sports, the World Gymnastics governing body said, “The issuance of visas to all participants is a process determined solely by the Dutch authorities.”
It further added, “World Gymnastics is not in a position to explain why a select number of application requests have been refused.”
Canada and the Netherlands are dealing with different sporting events and decisions. However, both cases show the problems Russian athletes can face when they need to travel to another country for international competitions.
Canada’s position could affect Russia’s return to international hockey
Canada’s latest announcement matters because Alberta will host the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer. The tournament is scheduled to begin on December 26, 2026.
CAS’s decision to allow Russia to return to international hockey has raised questions about whether its team can compete in the tournament. Hockey Canada has already expressed disappointment with the ruling and contacted the IIHF to understand what it could mean for future competitions.
In its official statement, Hockey Canada said, “While the implications of the ruling are not immediately clear, our organization is in contact with the IIHF to learn more and we await further understanding of the potential impact the decision will have on the IIHF’s Member National Associations and future competitions.”
The IIHF has also acknowledged that bringing Russia back will involve several challenges. The organization said it would need to work with national associations, organizing committees and host authorities. They would also need to review tournament schedules, travel plans and security arrangements.
Canada’s restrictions could create another problem for Russia’s participation. However, the federal government had not promised any funding for the 2027 World Juniors as of October 31. Alberta had earlier provided $11 million in 2024 to support hockey events, including the tournament.
Canada has therefore confirmed that it will continue restricting Russian athletes at sporting events that receive federal funding. However, the government has not announced any specific decision to reject visas for the Russian hockey team.
For now, Russia’s return to international hockey will depend on further discussions between the IIHF and the host authorities. Meanwhile, Canada has made it clear that its position on Russian participation has not changed.