Russian and Belarusian skaters can return to international events with approved neutral status
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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russian skaters can return to world championships and Grand Prix events next season as neutral athletes for the first time since the full military invasion of Ukraine.
The International Skating Union said Tuesday it was lifting a ban since February 2022 on skaters and officials from Russia and Belarus taking part in its events, though without their national symbols of flag and anthem.
Still, athletes could face issues getting entry visas from countries hosting ISU events.
In 2027, the world championships of figure skating is hosted by Finland and South Korea hosts in short track. China will host the next speed skating worlds.
The ISU cited the success of some skaters from Russia and Belarus qualifying for and competing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics “without related incident.”
In figure skating in Milan, Russians Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik were cleared to compete with neutral status and both finished sixth in their individual events. Viktoriia Safonova of Belarus also competed with Individual Neutral Athlete status.
Guidance from the International Olympic Committee also was noted by the ISU. The IOC advised sports bodies on May 7 to readmit athletes from Belarus without vetting for neutral status.
Skaters approved with neutral status must not have “at any time since February 2022, actively and publicly supported that war,” the ISU said.
The governing body said the decision “does not affect the ISU’s continued condemnation of armed conflict, nor the ISU’s ongoing support for Ukrainian skaters.”
The exclusion of Russian and Belarus skaters since 2022 was, the ISU said, not a punishment for the war but a decision taken “exclusively in the interests of the safety of participants and the integrity of the competition.”
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics