International Biathlon Upholds Ban on Russian and Belarusian Athletes

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) recently wrapped up its 17th Ordinary IBU Congress in Berchtesgaden, Germany, last week. The congress included the election of the IBU’s new president, Tim Farcnik, along with the selection of Östersund, Sweden, as the host for the IBU World Championships Biathlon 2031. But perhaps the most important decision made was regarding the status of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Ultimately, the IBU decided to continue its suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes during the 2026-27 season. With the decision, the two nations’ national federations will remain banned, and their athletes will not be able to compete on World Cup stages, the IBU Cup, or other international events.

Continuing the Union’s firm stance, the suspension also forbids Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under approved neutral status. The organization had previously set conditions for a possible return, but those conditions were not met, and the IBU has not provided a separate mechanism for them to participate as neutral.

• Related: Russian and Belarusian Athletes Can Compete in FIS Events with Approved Neutral Status

The decision to continue the ban for the 2026-27 season marks the fifth year with no Russian or Belarusian athletes in IBU competition. The last time athletes from the two nations competed was at the 2022 BMW IBU World Cup in Otepää, Estonia — less than weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine. Following the invasion and the end of the 2021-22 season, the IBU banned athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus from participating in any international events.

Since instating the ban in 2022, the Russian and Belarusian federations have been under the IBU’s review. In September 2022, the IBU set specific conditions for their possible reinstatement, requiring the national federations and their officials to clearly distance themselves from Russia’s actions in Ukraine. According to Nordic Magazine, the Russian Biathlon Union submitted an official request on June 17, 2026, to the IBU stating it had fulfilled the requirements set by the IBU for reinstatement. However, on July 9, the IBU determined that the conditions were not met. The recent vote at the 17th Ordinary IBU Congress last week confirmed the organization’s decision.

“The position of the International Biathlon Union is very, very clear,” Ukrainian Biathlon Federation president Ivan Krulko said in a statement. “No athlete or representative from Russia or Belarus may be serving in the Russian armed forces. However, we know full well that this is not the case, and there is ample evidence to support this. This is therefore completely incompatible with the principles of the International Biathlon Union.”

• Related: Russian Ski Star Claims Scandinavia Is Blocking World Cup Return: “Ban Norway and Let’s See What Happens”

Also worth noting is the IBU’s decision to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing under approved neutral status. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), which oversees alpine skiing among other disciplines, recently outlined guidelines for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under approved neutral status. While approved athletes will be able to compete in FIS events, they will have to do so with no flags, no national anthem, no national team uniforms, and no symbols of national identity.

Alongside the FIS ruling, Russian and Belarusian athletes also secured a big victory with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which decided to provisionally reinstate the two nations’ Olympic Committees for Olympic competition. The Russian Olympic Committee and Belarusian Olympic Committee had previously been suspended by the IOC since October 12, 2023, following their incorporation of regional sports organizations in Ukraine. However, the IOC’s recent rulings have lifted those bans, providing Russian and Belarusian athletes a potential pathway to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles under their national flags.

With those decisions in mind, it’s clear that the IBU’s stance against the Russian and Belarusian biathlon federations remains firm. With the federations still banned, and with no way to compete as approved neutrals, Russian and Belarusian biathletes will not appear in any IBU-related events this season. And with the war still raging on in Ukraine, there is no telling how long it will be before they can compete again.

The IBU is scheduled to begin its 2026-27 World Cup season from November 26 to November 29, 2026, in Kontiolahti, Finland.