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

The Council of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) ruled at a September 1 meeting that Russian and Belarusian athletes can continue to compete in FIS events this season, but must register as neutral athletes with approved neutral status. For skiers and snowboarders from Russia and Belarus, it means competition but with no flags, no national anthem, no national team uniforms, and no symbols of national identity.

The ruling also limits participation to a narrower scope than a full return to competition. Russian and Belarusian athletes are permitted to compete only in individual events — team competitions remain off-limits under the current policy. The restriction applies across FIS disciplines, meaning athletes can race as individuals in World Cup events but cannot represent teams in team-format competitions.

To participate in events, Russian and Belarusian athletes, coaches, and other accompanying personnel must sign a “declaration of neutrality based on principles established by FIS.” The governing body also stated that “compliance will be continuously monitored, with sanctions available in the event of a breach.”

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The FIS ruling comes shortly after Russian and Belarusian athletes won decisions this summer from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 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 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.

Russia last competed at the Olympic Games under its own national flag at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, before a state-sponsored doping scandal surfaced and led to the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee. Belarus last competed at the Olympics under its own national flag at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.

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Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, FIS followed the IOC’s lead, suspending Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in FIS events on March 1, 2022. FIS enforced this decision until a December 2025 ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found that FIS’s decision to block all Russian and Belarusian athletes from Olympic qualification events constituted an unlawful “blanket exclusion” based solely on nationality. CAS then ordered FIS to allow a defined group of named athletes to apply for neutral status, provided they meet IOC neutrality criteria.

Shortly after the ruling, the FIS released a list of eligible Russian and Belarusian athletes who could return to national competition as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN). It ended a nearly four-year ban on athletes from the two countries competing in FIS events.

Among the Belarusian athletes who were granted AIN status are Olympic champions and World Cup veterans such as Hanna Huskova, the 2018 Olympic gold medallist and 2022 silver medallist in women’s aerials, alpine skier Maria Shkanova, and multiple freestyle and cross-country competitors. Permitted Russian athletes include prominent names such as cross-country skier Dariya Nepryaeva, a 23-year-old cross-country skier who has won the Russian National Championships twice; Nordic combined athlete Artem Galunin; and freestyle skiing star Anastasiia Tatalina, the 2021 Big Air world champion and a 2024 X Games silver medalist.

While the list opened the door for many top Russian and Belarusian skiers and snowboarders to compete, the CAS ruling applied only to athletes named explicitly in the appeals and did not reopen eligibility for all. Many high-profile Russian and Belarusian athletes — particularly those affiliated with military or state security structures — remained ineligible under IOC neutrality rules.

However, with the FIS’s recent decision, athletes who were previously not permitted can reapply for Neutral Status. Applicants will be assessed by an independent external organization outside of FIS.

• Related: FIS Expands List of Russian and Belarusian Athletes Granted Neutral Status After CAS Ruling

The FIS’s recent decision ultimately allows certain Russian and Belarusian athletes to continue competing in FIS events like World Cups, but they must remain separated from their nationalities. While the IOC is trending towards allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their flags at the 2028 Olympics, that will not be the case at FIS events during the 2026-27 season.

The 2026-27 FIS World Cup season begins on October 24–25, 2026, in Sölden, Austria.