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≡ RUSSIA & BELARUS “NEUTRALS” ≡
The International Olympic Committee’s formula for “Individual Neutral Athletes” (AIN) for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games led the International Skating Union to announce a parallel program to allow the possibility of Olympic qualification for up to 24 Russian and 24 Belarusian athletes for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina (ITA).
Friday’s announcement referred to ISU communication 2680, with 10 pages of specific regulations, and a question-and-answer document, including:
● “The ISU recognizes that in case the IOC will allow AINs to participate at
the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 (“OWG 2026”), a pathway should be in place for AINs to qualify.”
● “The Russian and Belarusian national federations/Belarusian National Olympic Committee will each be able to nominate:
“o Maximum one Athlete and one substitute (in case of injury prior to qualification) per individual event (One pair for Pair Skating, One couple for Ice Dance) in Figure Skating
“o Maximum one Athlete and one substitute (in case of injury prior to qualification) per individual event in Speed Skating / Short Track Speed Skating”
● “By latest February 28 2025, the Figure Skating Federation of Russia, Russian Skating Union and Belarusian Skating Union/Belarusian National Olympic Committee will be able to nominate to the ISU one Athlete and one substitute (in case of injury prior to qualification) per individual event in Figure Skating/Speed Skating/Short Track Speed Skating, one pair for Pair Skating and one couple for Ice Dance who can participate as AINs.
● “A special screening, conducted with the support of specialist external contractors, will ensure that the Nominated Athletes and Substitutes who will be accepted as AINs have neither publicly supported nor are publicly supporting the invasion of Ukraine and are not linked to Russian/Belarusian military or security agencies.”
The ISU is taking a “better to be prepared” attitude toward Russian and Belarusian participation at the 2026 Winter Games, with a limited opening:
● The openings for participation are only four Olympic qualifying events in Figure Skating, Speed Skating and Short Track and not for any other ISU competition.
● One entry, who meets the ISU’s criteria – essentially the same as the IOC’s for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – will be allowed to enter the figure skating Olympic qualifier in China from 17-21 September 2025, the four speed skating World Cup events in November and December 2025 and the four Short Track World Tour events in November and December 2025.
● So, the maximum number of entries for figure skating is eight (12 athletes) for men and women; for speed skating is 12 for men and women and six in short track, for men and women for each country. That’s a total of 24 for Russia and for Belarus.
There are also special doping procedures, and rules allowing substitutes in case of injury.
The ISU Q&A notes that number of Russian figure skaters at Beijing 2022 was 18, vs. six now possible for 2026; 16 speed skaters, vs. 12 possible for 2026, and 10 short track racers, vs. six possible for 2026.
Although it will be expected that Russia will win places in all four figure-skating events, it’s not clear how much success they will have in speed skating or short track.
Moreover, if the IOC follows through for Milan Cortina with the same procedures it used for Paris, it will have its own review panel for Russian and Belarusian entries as “neutrals.” That panel for Paris:
● Russia: Reduced federation-approved entries from 48 to 15.
● Belarus: Reduced federation-approved entries from 32 to 17.
The Q&A also included a note on whether the Ukrainian federation was consulted in this policy:
“The ISU maintains its condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine and continues to provide financial support to Ukrainian Skaters through various initiatives, including the ISU Development Program, contributions to the Ukrainian Skating Federation, and a support program for displaced skaters. At the same time, the ISU remains independent in its decisionmaking from all its Members.”
The regulations did note that information about possible neutral athletes concerning support for the war against Ukraine can be submitted by outside sources, an element that Ukrainian sports officials have deemed crucial to eliminating war supporters.
Russian reaction to the ISU announcement was muted. Iconic figure skating coach Tatayana Tarasova told the Russian news agency TASS:
“I have positive emotions about the decision. I was sure that we would be allowed. What do I think about the strict requirements? Is there another way? Each competition has specific rules by which they are selected.
“I think that one quota is completely unfair, but I understood that they would not do it any other way.”
The Acting President of the Russian Figure Skating Federation Anton Sikharulidze was more positive:
“This is good news for all of us, our athletes will participate in the qualifying competitions for the 2026 Olympic Games.
“We are glad that world sports life continues, and we will prepare, as before, to be one of the leaders in world figure skating. I think that we will definitely discuss this with our guys, coaches within the federation and let everyone know how the selection will be held. The news is completely new, we must carefully look at it, study it and make a decision.”
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