Athletes from across the world are descending upon northern Italy in preparation of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Most will be competing under their nation’s respective flags when the competition starts on Feb. 6, but that won’t be the case for those hailing from Russia and Belarus.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]Olympic hopefuls from those eastern European countries will instead compete as Individual Neutral Athletes. (In French, they are referred to as Athletes Individuels Neutres—AIN.) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) describes this category as consisting of “athletes with Belarusian or Russian passports who have been confirmed as eligible and invited to compete.”
The neutrality clause came into play after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Russian and Belarusian athletes and sports teams have been restricted from competing at numerous events and competitions following the assault, including Wimbledon in 2022 and the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Ahead of the highly-anticipated Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, here’s what you need to know about how Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete.
Why are Russia and Belarus banned by the IOC?
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the IOC’s Executive Board recommended that athletes from both Russia and Belarus be banned from competing at Olympic events. Belarus was included in the recommendation due to its support of Russia’s assault.
The sports governing body emphasized that the decision came with a “heavy heart” as “the Olympic Movement is united in its sense of fairness not to punish athletes for the decisions of their government if they are not actively participating in them.”
This announcement came just a week after the conclusion of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris 2024.
In January 2023, the IOC expressed its support for the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes that would participate in competitions as “neutral athletes” and “in no way represent their state or any other organisation in their country,” as long as they adhered to a particular set of guidelines.
Their participation was confirmed later that year.
What rules are in place for Individual Neutral Athletes?
Olympic guidelines state that AINs can only participate at events under titles that display no relation to Russian or Belarusian national olympic committees or federations.
The Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP) assesses each competitor’s eligibility. Those invited to participate under AIN must follow strict guidelines, including anti-doping regulations. Notably, athletes shown to be in support of Russia’s invasion are not eligible.
Athletes or support personnel contracted to the military or national security of either nation are also unable to participate under AIN. No emblems, logos, or flags can be shown or worn by adult AIN athletes. The AIN symbol and flag—a white circle inscribed with “AIN” on a teal background—must be used instead. These rules also extend to national anthems.
But the guidelines are somewhat different for youth competitions.
The IOC announced in December that youth athletes from both countries “should no longer be restricted in their access to international youth competitions, in both individual and team sports.”
“The standard protocols of the IF [International Federation] or the International Sports Event Organiser regarding flags, anthems, uniforms and other elements should apply, provided that the national sports organisation concerned is in good standing.”
This renewed approach will be put into play at the Dakar Youth Olympics, set to start in Senegal in October.
Who are the Russian and Belarusian competitors taking part in the Winter Games as neutral athletes?
Russian figure skaters Petr Gumennik and Adeliia Petrosian, alongside Belarusian Viktoriya Safonova will be taking part in the Milano-Cortina games. They will join Russian ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov and short-track speed skaters Ivan Posashkov and Alena Krylova.
Russians Savelii Korostelev and Daria Nepriaeva, as well as Belarusian Hanna Karaliova, will all compete in cross-country skiing.
The speed skating category will see Russians Kseniia Korzhova and Anastasiia Semenova take to the ice, as well as Belarusian Marina Zueva.
Which prominent Russian and Belarusian athletes won’t be competing at the Winter Games?
As a result of the ban, prominent Russian players within the National Hockey League (NHL) will not be competing in the Milano-Cortina games.
Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Artemi Panarin—who all play for U.S.-based hockey teams—are among those who will miss another Olympics.
All-time NHL goal scorer Alexander Ovechkin, captain of the Washington Capitals, will also be notably absent.
How many medals did AIN athletes from Russia and Belarus win in the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Belarusian trampoline gymnasts Ivan Litvinovich and Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya went home with medals, winning gold and silver, respectively.
Belarusian rower Yauheni Zalaty won silver and Yauheni Tsikhantsou earned a bronze in weightlifting.
Russian tennis players Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider claimed silver in the women’s doubles.
(World Athletics, the governing body of track and field, has held to a harder line: no Russian or Belarusian track and field athletes competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics.)
What happened to the Russian Olympic Committee?
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) previously represented athletes from the country at prior games. Following a three-year investigation from the IOC into Russia’s athlete doping scandal, Russia was banned in 2017 from participating in the Winter Olympics.
After several discussions, it was decided that Russian athletes would still be able to compete, but only under the title of Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR). Athletes wore a neutral uniform with the Olympic flag, and the Olympic anthem was played during their medal ceremonies.
After Russian athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympics passed their anti-doping tests, the ROC was reinstated. Athletes competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 2022 Winter games in Beijing under the Russian name.
But the ROC was banned from competing entirely in October 2023, after it announced it would include sports organisations in captured Ukrainian territory under its own authority. The IOC said the move constituted “a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC [National Olympic Committee] of Ukraine.”
Can Russia participate in the Olympics in 2028?
Russia’s goal is to compete under the Russian flag come the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
“An important event we all are striving for is the 2028 Olympic Summer Games, which will be held in the U.S. We are preparing to participate in full composition,” said Sports Minister and ROC head Mikhail Degtyaryov in September.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, appointed last year, has also floated the possibility of Russia being reinstated ahead of 2028.
Coventry said that she found inconsistencies with Russia’s ban, pointing to conflicts in Africa that have not led to the suspension of countries involved. Coventry won two gold medals in swimming at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics for Zimbabwe.
“What I would like to do is set up a task force… to set out some policies and some guiding frameworks that we as the movement can [use] to make decisions when we are brought into conflicts,” she said in an interview. “We have conflicts in Africa and they’re horrific at the moment. So this is not going away, sadly.”
TIME has contacted the IOC for comment.
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