Russian athletes will be able to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics as neutral competitors, the International Skating Union (ISU) has announced. This decision applies to figure skating and speed skating disciplines, allowing a limited number of individual athletes to participate under strict conditions in Olympic qualifying events for the 2025/26 season.

The ISU’s move follows the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations to create a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition after sanctions were imposed due to the invasion of Ukraine. The ISU emphasised that competing in the Winter Games is a career milestone for many athletes and carefully reviewed the feasibility of implementing the IOC’s guidelines.

Previously, only 15 Russian athletes were permitted to compete as neutrals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Russian athletes competed under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) flag after a ban due to state-sponsored doping.

Mikhail Degtyarev, Russia’s Sports Minister, welcomed the ISU’s decision, viewing it as a positive step towards a full return to international sport. He stated that while the process of re-entering global competition would be difficult, the ISU’s decision was a crucial step in avoiding permanent isolation for Russian athletes.