The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided that Russian and Belarusian athletes may compete under a neutral flag at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

It was expected that the IOC would allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the 2026 Olympics; however, the decision was made official on Friday.

Russian athletes have been banned from many sports since the war against Ukraine began in 2022, including cross-country skiing and biathlon.

Strict criteria

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had previously opened the door for athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) if they met specific requirements.

Athletes from both countries competed at the Paris Olympics last year, when 15 neutral Russians and 17 neutral Belarusians accepted an Olympic invitation. At the same time, NRK found more than 80 participants born in Russia who competed for other nations.

Press release from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) can be found HERE.

No war and no doping

The rules will be the same in 2026 as they were in Paris 2024. Athletes must have undergone sufficient doping testing, cannot have supported the war in Ukraine, and cannot have ties to the military, among other things. No teams will be able to compete under a neutral flag.

“We have a group that will review those who are entered. We thought it was fairest to keep it the same as it was in Paris,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry at a press conference Friday.

That matches the wishes of the Norwegian athletes’ committee.

“I want them to hold the same line and not allow any form of Russian involvement for those athletes who aren’t connected to the regime and are coming to the Games,” Nedregotten emphasized.

“Several sports have discussed whether teams should be allowed to compete, and I’ve been completely against that. As soon as a team from Russia appears, it quickly becomes very symbolic of what’s happening. Individual athletes are a bit different,” he continued.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place from February 6 to 22 next year.

Could still be challenging

The IOC’s requirements are precise: Athletes from Russia and Belarus may compete under a neutral flag provided they do not belong to military organizations or have actively supported the war in Ukraine.

They must also meet the sporting qualification standards of their disciplines. Since both the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) are maintaining their bans, it will be difficult for them to qualify in the usual way.

The criteria led to sharply reduced participation in Paris: only 15 Russians and 17 Belarusians competed under a neutral flag.

Also Read: No to Russia and Belarus at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Full-scale Olympic build-up

Despite the uncertainty and strict criteria, the Russian national teams have now planned a complete Olympic build-up toward the coming season. According to Russian ski president Jelena Välbe, that will mean holding between 30 and 40 percent of all training camps abroad.

Several have already been carried out, including in Turkey and Italy, with most of the top skiers taking part: Saveliy Korostelev, Sergey Ardashev, Ivan Yakimushkin, Sergey Ustiugov, Alexander Terentev, Konstantin Tiunov, Alexander Bakurov, Sergey Volkov, Nikita Denisov, Daryia Nepryaeva, Tatiana Sorina, Veronika Stepanova, Yulia Stupak, and Natalia Terenteva.

The last four formed the relay team that won gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. All of them have also become mothers over the past year.

Read More: Russia wins thriller relay at the Beijing Olympics

Saveliy Korostelev is considered by many to be the next Alexander Bolshunov. The 21-year-old managed to win two golds and one silver at the Junior World Championships in Lygna in 2022, just days before the Russians were banned as a result of Putin’s war against Ukraine.

“We just have to hope we’ll be allowed to compete in the Olympics. But it’s not just wishful thinking. It’s going to happen; it’s just a matter of how long it will take. People are talking about next year, and things are moving, but no specific details,” said Russian Olympic legend Alexander Legkov to Odds.ru.

“Maybe it will only be one athlete per event in Milan? Let’s hope it will be two, three, or four. Neutral status means nothing; what matters is that they get to compete.”

“Jump-started” last winter

Already last winter, several Russian athletes trained in Lavazè, northern Italy, for several weeks, including Olympic champion Alexander Bolshunov.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus have been banned from all competitions organized by FIS and IBU since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

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