IOC Clears Russian Athletes for 2026 Winter Games Under Strict Neutrality Rules

IOC Confirms Neutral Status for Russian and Belarusian Athletes

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on September 19, 2025, its decision to allow 13 Russian athletes, along with other eligible Russian and Belarusian competitors, to participate as 'Individual Neutral Athletes' (AINs) at the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. This move maintains the strict conditions previously applied to athletes from these nations, emphasizing neutrality and a rigorous vetting process.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games are scheduled to take place from February 6 to February 22, 2026, across various venues in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Strict Eligibility Criteria for Individual Neutral Athletes

Athletes from Russia and Belarus wishing to compete must adhere to a comprehensive set of eligibility criteria. These conditions include:

• Competing under a neutral flag and without any national symbols, colors, or anthems.
• A prohibition on participation in team events.
• Mandatory background checks to ensure they do not actively support the war in Ukraine.
• Exclusion of athletes with any links or contracts to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies.
• Non-participation in the opening ceremony parade.
• Their achievements will not be recognized in the official medals table.
• Compliance with all anti-doping requirements.
• Signing the Conditions of Participation, which includes a commitment to respect the Olympic Charter's 'peace mission'.

An Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP) has been established to evaluate each athlete's eligibility. As of November 29, 2025, two Russian figure skaters, Petr Gumennik and Adeliia Petrosian, and one Belarusian athlete, Viktoriia Safonova, were among the first to be cleared. More recently, on January 27, 2026, Russian alpine skiers Yulia Pleshkova and Simon Efimov were also declared eligible.

Context of Ongoing Sanctions

The IOC's decision comes within the broader context of sanctions imposed following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) was suspended in October 2023 after it recognized regional Olympic councils in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, a move deemed a violation of the Olympic Charter. This suspension means Russia cannot compete as a country, and its athletes have not competed under their national flag at a Winter Olympics since 2014.

IOC President Kirsty Coventry has affirmed that the approach for Milano Cortina 2026 mirrors that of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, where Russian athletes also competed as neutrals. This policy aims to allow individual athletes to pursue their Olympic dreams while maintaining sanctions against the national Olympic committees of Russia and Belarus.