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≡ ISU COUNCIL ≡
“The International Skating Union (ISU) Council has decided to revise the position in ISU Communication 2469 to reintroduce skaters affiliated with ISU Members in Russia and Belarus to participate in ISU Events or International Competitions during the 2026/2027 season as AIN (Neutral) Athletes (read ISU Communication 2804).
“Athletes representing Russia and Belarus will be able to compete without items of state recognition, namely national flags, national kit and national anthems. Participation will be dependent on no evidence of breaches of athletes’ neutral status, which reinforces the primacy of fair sport on the ice.”
Tuesday’s announcement follows the International Olympic Committee’s emphasis on neutrality in sport, underlined during the 146th IOC Session last week in Lausanne (SUI).
However, there are qualifications to the “neutral” status:
“Eligibility will be withheld only where a skater is shown to fall within the disqualifying criteria, namely that they are currently in active service with the armed forces or a national security agency of Russia or Belarus, or that, since February 2022, they have taken active part in military operations in the war against Ukraine or have actively and publicly supported that war.
“Each case is assessed individually and on the evidence by the ISU Council (which may delegate the assessment to an independent eligibility panel), and is kept under review. This approach is consistent with the eligibility criteria applied by the IOC to neutral athletes.”
The ISU decision noted that Russian and Belarusian athletes will reappear slowly at the top level of federation competitions since they have been out of events since 2022 and have no ranking points in figure skating, speed skating or short track.
While the athletes can return, officials cannot:
“At this time, the ISU has prioritized the readmission of Athletes. ISU Communication 2469 remains in effect regarding the participation of Officials from Russia and Belarus. However, the ISU recognizes the need to develop a pathway for these officials to return to their duties and is developing such a plan.”
Russian response to the decision was positive, but not wild, given that other federations have fully readmitted Russian athletes and officials. Dmitry Svishchev, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sport, told the Russian news agency TASS:
“This is a joint effort between the federations and the Russian Olympic Committee. This is an important decision for our athletes, who have gained confidence in their preparations for the next season.
“The ISU Council’s decision was almost certainly influenced by the recent IOC decision to amend the Charter, which eliminates the politicization of sport. Now it’s important that all admission decisions are implemented without opposition from certain countries.”
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