A Russian woman wearing a war symbol will compete at the Junior Curling World Championships
Russian curler Elizaveta Kiselova, who previously posed with a St. George’s ribbon, has been included in the roster for the World Junior Curling Championships.
This refers to the mixed doubles tournament, which will take place from May 5 to 10, 2026, in Edmonton, Canada.
It is noted that in May 2023, the athlete publicly posed with a St. George’s ribbon—a symbol of Russian aggression against Ukraine. She also liked posts featuring Russian military personnel and followed individuals under sanctions who support the war.
Despite this, the World Curling Federation allowed Russian athletes to participate in the competition, even with national symbols.
The article notes that the decision was made after the official application deadline had passed, when Russia and Belarus were formally still suspended.
Thus, as noted, the federation effectively changed its own rules, which drew criticism regarding the level playing field for participants.
It had previously been planned to consider the issue of Russian athletes’ return only in the spring of 2026 following consultations, but the decision was expedited. This is attributed to pressure from Dmitry Svishchev, president of the Russian Curling Federation, who threatened legal action.
As a reminder, Ukraine’s national soccer team dropped in the updated FIFA rankings, falling from 30th to 32nd place.
The Ukrainian Football Association officially announced the end of its cooperation with national team head coach Serhiy Rebrov. The parties terminated the contract by mutual agreement following the team’s unsuccessful performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
