Is Russia's ban from world sport over? - The Sports Agents
The News Agents
Global
4.1 • 5.4K Ratings
🗓️ 20 February 2026
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to represent their countries at the upcoming Winter Paralympics. For the first time since 2014, since Russia’s state-sponsored doping programme and the war with Ukraine, we will see the Russian flag and potentially hear the anthem.
Ukrainian officials are boycotting, but FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, has also recently said he wants to lift football’s ban on Russia.
This all comes after Ukrainian skeleton athlete, Vladyslav Heraskevych, was disqualified from the Winter Olympics for wearing a helmet showing Ukrainians killed in the war.
So, is this the beginning of something? Could we see Russia compete at the LA Summer Olympics in 2028? Or even the World Cup? Mark and Gabby speak to The Athletic's Matt Slater.
Plus, we look back at the best bits on The Sports Agents this week, from welcoming double Winter Olympic gold medallist Matt Weston, to discussing abuse in football with former England striker Emile Heskey.
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Transcript
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| 0:32.0 | This is a global player original podcast. The Winter Olympics are just coming to a close and before the winter |
| 0:40.8 | Paralympics start, there is already controversy. Yeah, Russian and Bella Russian athletes are going |
| 0:46.7 | to be allowed to represent their countries competing under their own flags. For the first time |
| 0:51.2 | since 2014, since Russia's state-sponsored doping program and the war in Ukraine, |
| 0:56.7 | we're going to see and potentially hear the Russian anthem and flag. |
| 1:01.8 | Ukraine officials are boycotting. FIFA president, though, Gianni Infantino, has recently said |
| 1:06.6 | that he wants to lift football's ban on Russia. |
| 1:10.1 | So is this the beginning of something? |
| 1:11.8 | Could we see Russia compete at the L.A. Summer Olympics in 2028 or even the World Cup? |
| 1:17.5 | Welcome to the Sports Agents. |
| 1:23.2 | The Sports Agents |
| 1:28.6 | With Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman |
| 1:32.9 | Well, we're joined now by the athletics Matt Slater, |
| 1:36.3 | who is out in Italy for the games. |
| 1:40.2 | Matt, there are two questions really to start with here. |
| 1:44.1 | Very simply, what has happened and why now? |
| 1:47.7 | Okay, right. |
... |
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