Industry News
Olympics
A small group of Russian and Belarusian winter-sport athletes have become the first to receive Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status from the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS), marking a significant—though extremely limited—shift in their ability to return to international competition amid ongoing sanctions linked to the Russia–Ukraine war. The list includes competitors across alpine, cross-country, freestyle, and Nordic combined, as well as several support personnel.
The development comes in the wake of a major legal setback for FIS. On December 2, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the federation’s October 21 decision to block all Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in Olympic qualifiers amounted to a “blanket exclusion” based solely on nationality—contradicting FIS’s own statutes on neutrality. CAS ordered FIS to allow certain named athletes to apply for AIN status, provided they satisfy the IOC’s neutrality criteria. National teams remain barred.
The following athletes have been granted AIN status:
Belarus
- Anastasiya Andryianava – Freestyle Skiing
- Ivan Avdeev – Alpine Skiing
- Aleh Bykauskikh – Cross-Country (Support Personnel)
- Anna Derugo – Freestyle Skiing
- Ihar Drabiankou – Freestyle Skiing
- Hanna Huskova – Freestyle Skiing (Aerials)
- Hanna Karaliova – Cross-Country Skiing
- Hanna Machakhina – Cross-Country Skiing
- Alexander Nakonechnyi – Alpine (Support Personnel)
- Ilya Ramanenka – Cross-Country (Support Personnel)
- Maria Shkanova – Alpine Skiing
- Uladzislau Vazniuk – Freestyle Skiing
Russia
- Artem Galunin – Nordic Combined
- Savelii Korostelev – Cross-Country Skiing
- Dariya Nepryaeva – Cross-Country Skiing
- Anastasia Tatalina – Freestyle Skiing
- Evgeniy Uftikov – Cross-Country Skiing
Several athletes on the list are well-established international competitors with serious Olympic ambitions. Hanna Huskova is probably the most decorated athlete in the group, having won Olympic gold in women’s aerials at PyeongChang 2018 and silver at Beijing 2022. She is also a multiple World Cup winner in Freestyle aerials. Meanwhile, Dariya Nepryaeva is one of Russia’s top cross-country skiers, with an Olympic gold in the 4×5 km relay and individual medals from Beijing 2022. She has also been a Cross-Country World Cup podium regular. Last but not least, the list incudes Anastasia Tatalina , wife of Swiss freestyle snowboarder Nicolas Huber, who is a freestyle skier and the 2021 Big Air World Champion and 2024 Aspen X-Games silver medallist.
I’m officially allowed to compete again ❤ – and have a chance to qualify for the Olympics!
These past months have been an unbelievable rollercoaster. I fought my way back into the sport I love so much, on my own, only with the help of my family.
Today I received the news that I’ve been approved as an Individual Neutral Athlete and I still can’t believe that I will finally be able to compete again. I’m unbelievably grateful for all the support form everyone! thank you !
Believe in your dreams, no matter what!
— Anastasia Tatalina on Instagram
This limited reinstatement follows months of escalating legal conflict between the Russian and Belarusian federations and FIS. In October, FIS voted overwhelmingly to continue its full ban on athletes from both countries for the entire 2025–26 season. That decision effectively shut the door on Olympic qualification, since FIS-sanctioned events are the onlypathway into the 2026 Winter Games. The move contradicted IOC guidance, which had allowed individual Russians and Belarusians to compete as neutrals, subject to strict conditions and without national teams.
Russian and Belarusian sports officials appealed, arguing discrimination and violation of political neutrality. CAS agreed in part, ruling that while team bans may remain in place due to the ongoing war, FIS cannot exclude eligible individuals solely because of their nationality. The ruling, however, was narrow. It applies only to the specific athletes named in the appeals, not to entire national pools.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, nearly all international winter-sport federations have suspended Russian and Belarusian participation. The bans were justified on safety grounds and to uphold the integrity of competition. Critics argue that excluding individual athletes—many of whom have no connection to state policy—politicizes sport and punishes people for actions beyond their control. Supporters counter that allowing Russians to return could undermine the international response to the war and risk normalizing aggression.
This debate played out earlier this year, when FIS rejected efforts by its own president, Johan Eliasch, to create a pathway for neutral Russians. National ski associations voted decisively against him, citing moral responsibility and solidarity with Ukraine. Several national ski associations threatened a boycott if FIS did not ban Russian and Belarusian athletes, forcing the international organization’s hand. However, the CAS decision has now forced a partial reconsideration—at least for the athletes involved in the appeal.
It is important to point out that the AIN status does not guarantee these athletes a spot at the 2026 Winter Olympics. They must still secure entry into FIS-sanctioned qualification races, achieve required performance benchmarks, and pass IOC neutrality scrutiny, which includes strict bans on military ties, pro-war statements, or state-funded affiliations.
The list is of AIN is expected to remain small. Many high-profile Russian athletes—including biathletes, figure skaters, and skiers—are not part of these appeals and remain barred, as many are part of the military. For now, the approval of AIN status for this initial group represents the first tangible consequence of the CAS ruling. It opens a narrow door for a handful of athletes while leaving the broader international isolation of Russian and Belarusian sport firmly in place.
