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≡ RUSSIA AND BELARUS ≡
The announcement from the International Ski & Snowboard Federation on Tuesday was short and to the point:
“The FIS Council convened this Tuesday and voted not to facilitate the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) in FIS qualification events for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Games.
“The International Olympic Committee’s AIN regime has been set out as a possible pathway for athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the Olympic Games, with each International Federation remaining responsible for the decision on whether to allow these athletes to take part in its existing qualification system.”
The Russian news agency TASS reported that while there was some idea that Russian and Belarusian athletes might be admitted on some level:
“According to a TASS source, representatives of several European countries, including Norway and Sweden, persuaded FIS members to vote against allowing Russian athletes to participate. They also threatened to boycott the Games. Yuri Borodavko, head coach of the Russian national cross-country skiing team, also pointed to the influence of the Scandinavian lobby.
“’The decision was 90% expected. The powerful Scandinavian lobby issued an ultimatum stating that they would boycott the Olympic Games if Russians participated. Other countries joined them,’ Borodavko said.”
Dmitry Svishchev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, told TASS:
“The decision was expected; the chances were slim. The group gathered there harbored Russophobic sentiments that had been there for a long time and haven’t gone away. We still have the opportunity to defend our rights, including in court.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport would be the forum for any appeal.
Tove Djerhaug, the Norwegian Ski Federation President, said in a statement:
“We are pleased and satisfied that the majority of the international ski community continues to support the exclusion of athletes from Russia and Belarus. Our federation has made its position clear from the very beginning of the escalation of the situation in Ukraine, and today’s decision is a victory for everyone who distances themselves from Russia’s actions.”
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FIS was the only remaining federation which had not declared a policy on allowing “neutrals” from Russian and Belarus to compete in qualifying events for 2026:
● The International Skating Union and the International Ski Mountaineering Federation are allowing limited “neutral” entries from Russia and Belarus to be able to compete in Milan Cortina 2026 qualifiers.
● The International Biathlon Union, International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation, World Curling, International Ice Hockey Federation, and Federation Internationale de Luge have all decided not to allow Russian or Belarusian athletes to compete in qualifying events.
For the IBSF, its independent Appeal Tribunal issued a decision on Sunday that modified the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, limited it to athletes “who do not satisfy the IOC’s Individual Neutral Athletes (INA) rules for Milano Cortina 2026,” for which regulations were issued last September.
At the same time, a request for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be able to compete in IBSF events immediately was dismissed. The IBSF is considering whether to appeal the holding to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, or how to comply with the order modifying its current stance.
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