The council of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation has rejected the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in qualifiers for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. This decision, made in Oberhofen, Switzerland, effectively prohibits Russian and Belarusian skiers and snowboarders from competing in numerous events at the Games in February.
Although the International Olympic Committee permits athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes,” as seen at the previous Paris Olympics, the decision ultimately lies with the specific international federations governing each sport. FIS, which had previously banned national teams from Russia and Belarus in 2022, has chosen not to allow neutral athletes to participate.
The ruling by FIS also extends to Paralympic events under its jurisdiction. Despite the International Paralympic Committee reinstating Russia and Belarus as full members recently, FIS has maintained its stance against permitting their athletes to compete.
The timing of this decision, just before the commencement of the first alpine skiing World Cup event of the season in Austria, may have significant implications. While Russia may not be a dominant force in alpine skiing, the nation boasts success in cross-country skiing, snowboard slalom, ski jumping, and freestyle skiing.
Allowing Russian athletes to compete as neutrals could have led to tensions between FIS and the predominantly northern European countries hosting its World Cup events. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, FIS initially allowed Russian skiers to compete without national symbols, but reversed course following objections from countries like Norway.
FIS, as the largest of the nine international sports federations overseeing Olympic sports, will play a crucial role in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, accounting for nearly half of the total medals awarded. With the exclusion of Russian athletes from ski events, the number of neutral athletes at the Games is expected to be minimal.
While some sports federations have permitted Russian athletes to qualify, others like hockey and biathlon have maintained their bans. A few Russian and Belarusian athletes have qualified as neutrals in certain sports, with potential for more to follow in upcoming qualifying events. In contrast to the previous Games where there were 206 athletes from the Russian Olympic Committee and 24 from Belarus, the representation of these nations in the upcoming Winter Olympics is notably diminished.