Russian, Belarusian athletes to compete neutrally in 2026 Winter Olympics

Athletes volition acquisition checks to beryllium they bash not actively enactment the warfare successful Ukraine oregon person links with the army.

Russians volition vie arsenic neutral autarkic athletes without a nationalist emblem oregon anthem astatine the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, the International Olympic Committee has said, maintaining the aforesaid sanctions arsenic the Paris Summer Games past year.

The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee successful October 2023 for recognising determination Olympic councils for Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine – Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia – pursuing Russia’s 2022 penetration of Ukraine, saying the determination had violated the Olympic Charter.

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“We besides spoke astir the Independent Neutral Athletes (AINs). This volition beryllium thing new,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry told a quality conference. “The enforcement committee volition instrumentality the nonstop aforesaid attack that was done successful Paris (2024 Olympics). Nothing has changed.”

Russian and Belarusian athletes who scope qualifying times volition beryllium archetypal vetted for immoderate links to the Russian subject oregon enactment of the warfare successful Ukraine, some of which volition exclude them.

Russian teams are banned from the Games. Belarus has acted arsenic a staging crushed for the penetration of Ukraine.

A tiny fig of idiosyncratic Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to instrumentality portion arsenic AINs successful the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics aft archetypal passing rigorous vetting by the IOC.

They competed without the Russian oregon Belarusian emblem and anthem. Instead, they took portion arsenic neutral athletes.

Four Russian fig skaters successful men’s and women’s singles were precocious approved by the International Skating Union to effort to suffice for the Games, which commencement connected February 6, 2026 successful Italy, arsenic neutral athletes.