Kuleshova in Kazan: Living Quarters and the IOC Suspension Context
Anastasia Kuleshova, the bronze medalist from the 2018 Winter Games, spoke out about the living conditions of the Russian team during the Kazan stage of the Russian Cup. The comments appeared on her Telegram channel as part of a candid update to followers who follow her career closely and want an inside view of the team’s day to day during a high profile event.
She described the accommodations as cramped and hard to navigate, detailing a space that measured roughly 2 by 2 meters and offered little room to store gear. The situation was made worse by a bag that filled the corridor between the beds, leaving no obvious place to stash belongings or gear. In her words, the scene in Kazan was difficult to reconcile with the expectations many fans have for a national team preparing for competition, and she called the conditions cruel in the moment as she shared the firsthand impression with her audience.
Shortly after, the athlete removed the post from her channel, though the focal point of the dialogue around athlete welfare and training prerequisites remained a talking point among fans and analysts. The exchange underscored ongoing questions about resources, support, and the kinds of environments in which elite athletes train and travel during national team programs.
The Kazan stage of the Russian Cup was scheduled to run from January 16 to 19, bringing together athletes from across the country to compete at a high level and to test training plans ahead of broader national and international calendars. Such events are often moments when teams assess readiness, logistics, and the lived realities of athletes who devote themselves to the sport while balancing travel and competition demands.
In late February 2022, the International Olympic Committee issued guidance to international sport federations advising that Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be invited to participate in competitions. The move reflected the broader geopolitical and sporting climate at the time and signaled a shift in how international platforms approached participation and eligibility for athletes from those countries.
Following that guidance, the International Ski Federation acted in spring 2022 to suspend Russian and Belarusian competitors from events outside the host country for the remainder of the season. The suspension was subsequently extended, meaning that Russian athletes were limited to domestic events rather than international stages for an extended period. The outcome of these decisions affected where Russian athletes could compete and how they could maintain competition rhythm during the season.
Earlier, Kuleshova had publicly acknowledged the return of an Olympic champion to the sport as a hopeful sign, illustrating her continued connection to the sport and her interest in seeing top performers resume active competition. This perspective reflects the broader example of how athletes at the highest level respond to changes in the competitive landscape and how their own careers intersect with moments of change within the sport.