Russian ice skaters are cleared to compete under the ‘neutral’ flag (AIN) at the Milano Cortina 2026, the sport’s governing body said Friday.
“A pathway to allow a limited number of individual neutral athletes (AIN) to participate under strict conditions in designated Olympic qualifying events for the 2025/26 season,” the International Skating Union (ISU) announced.
The ISU said the decision applies to figure skating and speed skating disciplines.
“Recognising that competing in the Olympic Winter Games is the pinnacle of any skater’s career, the ISU has carefully examined the feasibility of implementing the IOC’s recommendations on creating a pathway to facilitate the participation of athletes affiliated with ISU Members in Russia and Belarus in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026,” the governing body added.
This will be in continuation of the Paris 2024 where 15 Russian athletes competed as neutrals. These athletes passed a double check, by the international sports federations and then by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to qualify for the Games, proving that they did not support the war in Ukraine.
The ISU, further, said it “noted the peaceful participation of AINs at the Olympic Summer Games in Paris 2024 and with this perspective in mind, reaffirms its commitment to fostering safe, peaceful, and fair competitions at Milano Cortina 2026.”
Meanwhile, welcoming the decision, Russia’s Sports Minister and head of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev said, “The process of a full return to international sport will be difficult, but events such as the ISU decision… are important steps on this path,” Degtyarev was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency. “This is better than a permanent break and isolation. We will continue to develop this pathway.”