Russian sliders return to World Cup luge training in Lake Placid amid controversy

There are six Russian sliders on the entry list for this weekend's World Cup luge races in Lake Placid, New York, all hoping to accumulate enough standings points to earn a berth at this winter's Milan Cortina Olympics.

They are scheduled to be part of official training on Tuesday, in a session that also will include athletes from Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Croatia, Finland, Britain, Canada, South Korea, Ireland and Estonia. The Russians are on the start list as AIN, or Individual Neutral Athletes.

Ukrainian athletes — who have made clear that they aren't comfortable with the notion of Russians being allowed to compete — are all in a different session of training Tuesday, the first day of official preparations at the Mount Van Hoevenberg track.

Training continues Wednesday, followed by a Nations Cup race — essentially a qualifier for the World Cup races — on Thursday. It's likely that the Russians will slide in the Nations Cup race before getting spots in the World Cup men's and women's singles luge events in Lake Placid.

Russians have not taken part in a World Cup luge race since January 2022, part of the response that the International Luge Federation — and other sport governing bodies — had to that country's invasion of Ukraine.

The International Olympic Committee wants Russians — in many sports — to have the opportunity to compete as neutral athletes at the Milan Cortina Games. Luge, like some other sports, originally refused to allow any Russians to take part this year, then amended those decisions after appeals.

The race in Lake Placid is the third of five races that will count toward Olympic qualifying, and the Russians need some results to enhance their odds of grabbing a berth for Milan Cortina. None of the Russians is expected to be a contender; of the six trying to compete now, only two have previous experience on the World Cup circuit.

The last two qualifying races for luge, in Latvia and Germany, may be difficult for the Russians to enter because the process of getting visas for those countries could be problematic. The Russians said last week that the U.S. granted them visas to come to races in Utah last weekend and Lake Placid this weekend; they skipped the Utah race for reasons that remain unclear.

Meanwhile, International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said last week it was deeming nine Russians eligible for its races this season. None of those sliders is entered in this weekend's World Cup skeleton races in Latvia.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

FILE -Anton Dukach, of Ukraine, slides during the luge men's single round 3 at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Feb. 6, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

LONDON (AP) — Fans of Jane Austen celebrated the acclaimed author's 250th birthday on Tuesday with a church service in her home village, festive visits to her house and a virtual party for those paying tribute from afar.

Thousands of enthusiasts around the world have already taken part in a yearlong celebration of one of English literature’s greats, who penned “Pride and Prejudice," “Sense and Sensibility” and other beloved novels.

On Tuesday — to mark 250 years since she was born on Dec. 16, 1775 — Jane Austen’s House, in the southern English village of Chawton, hosted talks, tours and performances for dozens of visitors. Celebrations concluded with an online party for fans from all over the world.

“Regency dress strongly encouraged,” organizers said, adding that more than 500 people from countries as far-flung as Chile, Kazakhstan and Belarus had signed up for the Zoom party.

The cottage, now a museum with Austen artifacts, was where the author lived for the last years of her life and where she wrote all six of her novels.

“It has been an absolute joy to spend 2025 celebrating the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. It has been a year filled with laughter, love, community and inspiration," said Lizzie Dunford, director of Jane Austen’s House. "Here’s to the next 250 years.”

A church service featuring music and readings was held in Steventon, the rural village where she was born.

Fans, who call themselves “Janeites," have marked the anniversary year with Regency balls and festivals staged in the U.K., U.S. and beyond.

Over the weekend, the city of Bath, where Austen lived for five years, hosted the Yuletide Jane Austen Birthday Ball, the finale of many grand costumed events held there this year.

FILE - One of the new British 10 pound notes is posed for photographs outside the Bank of England in the City of London, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, file)

FILE - A sound and light show with a literary theme developed by Luxmuralis, which includes a section on writer Jane Austen, is screened inside Winchester Cathedral in Winchester, England, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, file)