US EditionSki, Snowboard Federation Votes Not to Allow Russians, Belarusians in Olympic Qualifying
FIS maintains exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from Milan-Cortina Olympic qualifiers to prevent tensions with northern European hosts amid ongoing political conflicts.
- On Tuesday, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation council voted to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from Milan-Cortina qualifiers, blocking their participation in dozens of events tied to the February Games.
- Since 2022, FIS has barred Russia and Belarus national teams after reversing a neutral entry policy amid concerns about friction with mainly northern European World Cup host countries four days before the first Alpine World Cup event.
- As the largest winter-sports federation, International Ski and Snowboard Federation events make up almost half of Milan-Cortina medals; Russia remains strong in cross-country and sent 206 athletes in 2022 compared with 24 for Belarus.
- FIS clarified that the ban extends to Paralympic events overseen by FIS, while Russia's national ski association expressed `deep disappointment' and the IPC restored Russia and Belarus last month.
- Next month, World Cup events begin and award Olympic qualification points, while only ice skating federation and ski mountaineering governing body have opened paths for Russians; Two Russian figure skaters and one Belarusian qualified last month.
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FIS rejects neutral status for Russia, Belarus athletes in winter Olympic qualification
Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be permitted to compete as neutral participants in qualification events for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, following a decision by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) on Tuesday. The ruling effectively ends any hopes for skiers and snowboarders from the two countries to appear at the Games, scheduled to begin on February 6 next year. The move follows months of debate withi…
The FIS has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the 2026 Olympic qualifiers, even under a neutral flag, despite the IOC's different stance.
The decision of the International Ski Federation excludes Russians and Belarusians from the Olympic qualifications for the Olympic Games 2026. No neutral athlete will be accepted. A decision that aligns with other...
The International Ski Federation (Fis) has decided at a council meeting that Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be allowed to compete in the qualifications for the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in February next year, even as neutral athletes. The decision also applies to the Paralympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee had chosen to let the federations decide whether or not they would open their qualification process to athletes from the two countries involved in the invasion of Ukraine, which the FIS refused on Tuesday.
For Russian athletes from FIS-Sparten, the door to the Olympic season remains closed. Russian and Belarusian athletes are therefore not allowed to participate as neutral athletes (AIN) in FIS competitions in order to qualify for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2026 in Milan-Cortina. Thus, the medal decisions at Olympia (6 to 22 February) take place in the disciplines of ski alpine/freestyle, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, Nordic com…
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