CAS Permits Russian, Belarusian Skiers as Neutrals in 2026 Olympic Qualifiers

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on Tuesday that Russian and Belarusian ski and snowboard athletes may participate as Individual Neutral Athletes in qualification events for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, partially upholding appeals against a ban by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

The decision, issued in Geneva, Switzerland, addressed appeals filed by the Russian Ski Association, the Belarusian Ski Union, and a group of 17 athletes from both nations, including Belarusian freestyle skier Hanna Huskova, a gold medalist at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. The federation, known as FIS, had decided in October not to facilitate the entry of athletes from Russia and Belarus into its qualification events for the Olympics and Paralympics, renewing an exclusion imposed shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. CAS panels found that FIS statutes prohibit discrimination against individuals and require the organization to remain politically neutral. As a result, athletes meeting the International Olympic Committee's criteria for neutral status will be permitted to compete in FIS events leading to the Games, which begin February 6 in...