AIN Athletes at Winter Olympics: Is Russia Facing a Ban?
The upcoming Winter Olympics, commencing on February 6, 2026, in Milan and Cortina, will feature athletes from 92 countries. However, Russia and Belarus will not participate as nations. Both countries were suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2023 for significant violations of the Olympic Charter.
Reasons for the Ban on Russia and Belarus
The IOC’s decision followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, with Belarus acting in support. In response to this geopolitical conflict, the IOC urged international sports federations to exclude athletes from these nations from competitions. The explicit suspension came in October 2023, as the Russian Olympic Committee allegedly took control of sports organizations in regions occupied in Ukraine, including Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. This control violated the territorial integrity of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.
Impact of the Suspension
This suspension resulted in a significant loss of Olympic funding for Russia and prohibited its athletes from representing their nation in future Olympic events, including the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.
AIN Athletes at the Winter Olympics
Despite the ban, a select number of athletes will be able to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), a designation introduced for athletes from banned countries. This system allows athletes to participate under a neutral flag without affiliation to Russia or Belarus.
Criteria for AIN Eligibility
- Athletes must compete in individual sports.
- No ties to the Russian military or support for the war on Ukraine are allowed.
- Approval must be granted by the sport’s governing body and vetted by the IOC panel.
Qualified AIN Athletes for Milano Cortina
For the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, a total of 20 athletes have received invitations from the IOC to compete under the AIN designation. This includes:
Russian Athletes:
- Yulia Pleshkova – Alpine skiing
- Simon Efimov – Alpine skiing
- Savelii Korostelev – Cross-country skiing
- Daria Nepriaeva – Cross-country skiing
- Petr Gumennik – Figure skating
- Adeliia Petrosian – Figure skating
- Daria Olesik – Luge
- Pavel Repilov – Luge
- Ivan Posashkov – Short-track
- Alena Krylova – Short-track
- Nikita Filippov – Ski mountaineering
- Kseniia Korzhova – Speed skating
- Anastasiia Semenova – Speed skating
Belarusian Athletes:
- Marina Zueva – Speed skating
- Hanna Karaliova – Cross-country skiing
- Viktoriya Safonova – Figure skating
- Maria Shkanova – Alpine skiing
- Anastasiya Andryianava – Freestyle skiing
- Anna Derugo – Freestyle skiing
- Hanna Huskova – Freestyle skiing
These athletes will not have their achievements counted towards a national medal table and will compete without the use of national anthems. The AIN system will also continue for the Paris Olympics, maintaining the distinction of neutrality in international sports competitions.
