Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be permitted to participate in qualifying events or the main competition for ice skating and snowboarding disciplines at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. This decisive ban was imposed by the World Ice Skating Federation (FIS), following a vote by its member federations.
The decision by FIS stands in contrast to a recent declaration from the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Executive Board, which had initially paved the way for Russian and Belarusian athletes to potentially return to international competitions as neutral participants. However, FIS and its members have chosen a different path, effectively barring these athletes from any involvement.
The ban, which applies even if athletes were to compete under a neutral banner, takes immediate effect from the qualifying rounds for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Milano-Cortina Games are scheduled to take place from February 6 to February 22, 2026, in Italy.
Approximately 22 federations within the FIS council cast their votes to oppose the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes. This outcome appears to contradict the previous stance of FIS President Johan Eliasch, who had publicly expressed support for the return of athletes from both nations under neutral status.
This firm decision from the World Ice Skating Federation reflects a broader sentiment among many international sports federations, which continue to express disapproval regarding Russia’s ongoing military actions in Ukraine. The refusal to allow participation stems directly from this geopolitical context.
It is worth noting that the IOC had previously implemented a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from its Olympic events starting in October 2023. More recently, the IOC had softened its position, offering a conditional opportunity for athletes from these countries to compete, provided they did so as neutral individuals. This status would forbid the use of national anthems or flags during competition and require athletes to undergo rigorous screening to ensure they had not actively supported the conflict in Ukraine. Despite these IOC provisions, the World Ice Skating Federation’s independent vote has now solidified the exclusion for ice skating and snowboarding disciplines at the upcoming Winter Games.
