A select group of Russian and Belarusian athletes will participate in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes, stripped of national symbols due to ongoing sanctions. This follows bans stemming from doping scandals and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Up to 20 competitors will feature across five sports, facing strict qualification hurdles.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina mark another chapter in the complex participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes on the global stage. Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, these nations have faced widespread bans from international competitions, including the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has permitted a limited number of individuals to compete, but only as stateless "Individual Neutral Athletes" (AIN), without flags, anthems, or inclusion in medal tables.
This arrangement echoes previous Games. At the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, 32 such athletes from Russia and Belarus took part under similar conditions, winning five medals, including a gold in trampolining by Ivan Litvinovich. For Milan Cortina, the cap is 20 AIN athletes, spread across alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, speed skating, and ski mountaineering. Team sports, like ice hockey where Russia has historically excelled, remain off-limits.
Qualification demands rigorous checks. Athletes must gain approval from their sport's federation and an independent IOC panel, including former basketball star Pau Gasol, to confirm they do not support the Ukraine invasion. Many high-profile figures, such as cross-country skier Alexander Bolshunov—a five-medal winner from the 2022 Beijing Games—have been excluded. Bolshunov, who recently clashed physically with a rival at a domestic event, cited his military role and appearances with Vladimir Putin as barriers.
Norwegian skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo expressed mixed feelings: "I would love to have them here, and I would love to race against them because I know that they are strong... But on the other hand, I feel like it’s also a point where the political part meets sport." Potential contenders include 18-year-old figure skater Adeliia Petrosian, a three-time Russian champion known for landing a quadruple loop.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) initially blocked AIN participation, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned this in early December 2025—too late for most to qualify. Doping history complicates matters; Russia's state-sponsored program, exposed in the 2016 McLaren report, led to flag bans starting at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
Richard McLaren, report author, criticized the IOC's approach: "The IOC never really led with any leadership. They didn’t want to deal with the problems, so they shipped it down to the federations." A full return for Russia seems distant, hinging on peace in Ukraine and restored anti-doping compliance.
