NextFin news, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Friday, September 19, 2025, that Russian athletes will be allowed to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), continuing the approach used at the 2024 Paris Games.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry stated after an executive board meeting in Milan that the IOC will maintain the same policy applied in Paris, where Russian athletes competed without national symbols, flags, or anthems, and were barred from team sports and from participation if they were in the military or publicly supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Milan-Cortina Winter Games are scheduled to take place from February 6 to 22, 2026, across northern Italy. Russian athletes will not be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony, and any medals they win will not be counted in the official medal table.
The Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended by the IOC since 2023 due to violations of the Olympic Charter related to Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine. The IOC's restrictions also apply to Belarusian athletes, as Belarus is an ally of Russia.
Qualification and participation of Russian neutral athletes depend on the decisions of individual international sports federations, some of which continue to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from their competitions. The IOC is working with these federations to facilitate qualification opportunities where possible.
When asked about the possibility of banning Israeli athletes amid growing calls linked to the conflict in Gaza, IOC President Coventry confirmed that no discussions have taken place regarding excluding any National Olympic Committees, including Israel's. The IOC emphasized that Israel has not breached the Olympic Charter in a manner comparable to Russia.
Heightened security concerns are expected at the Games, especially following recent pro-Palestinian protests that disrupted the Spanish Vuelta cycling event. The IOC and the Milan-Cortina organizing committee have affirmed their commitment to ensuring the safety of all athletes, fans, and participants.
Russian athletes' participation as neutrals reflects the IOC's effort to balance inclusion of athletes worldwide while responding to geopolitical conflicts and sanctions related to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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