Russian Athletes to Compete as Neutrals at Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

IOC Confirms Neutral Status for Russian Athletes

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Friday, September 19, 2025, that athletes from the Russian Federation will be permitted to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics under a neutral banner. This decision, made during an IOC meeting in Milan, maintains the same stringent conditions applied to Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry stated that the Executive Board would 'take the exact same approach that was done in Paris,' emphasizing that 'Nothing has changed.'

Strict Eligibility Criteria Applied

Under the designation of 'Individual Neutral Athletes' (AINs), Russian competitors will face a comprehensive set of eligibility requirements. These conditions are designed to ensure neutrality and distance from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Key stipulations include:

• Athletes must compete without any national symbols, including the Russian flag, anthem, or colors.
• Participation is restricted to individual events only; Russian teams remain banned from the Games.
• Athletes and their support personnel must not have actively supported the war in Ukraine.
• No athlete or support staff with links to the Russian military or national security agencies will be eligible.
• All participating AINs must adhere to stringent anti-doping regulations.

Furthermore, medals won by Individual Neutral Athletes will not contribute to any national medal table, and these athletes will not participate in the traditional parade of nations during the opening ceremony. A special panel, such as the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP), will review the eligibility of each athlete.

Context of the Decision

This policy stems from the IOC's suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in October 2023. The suspension was enacted after the ROC violated the Olympic Charter by incorporating sports organizations in four Ukrainian regions (Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia) that are under Russian occupation. The IOC has maintained a strong stance against the actions of the Russian and Belarusian states and governments since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, implementing sanctions that prohibit international sports events in both countries and ban national symbols and officials from competitions.

The decision to allow neutral athletes aims to balance the rights of individual athletes to compete with the sanctions imposed on the Russian state, a strategy that the IOC considered successful in avoiding boycotts at the Paris 2024 Games.