The International Ski and Snowboard Federation has announced that its council has voted to prohibit athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in qualifiers for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. This decision was made in Oberhofen, Switzerland, by the council of the governing body, known as FIS, and will prevent Russian and Belarusian skiers and snowboarders from competing in numerous events at the Games in February.
While the International Olympic Committee permits athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes,” as seen in the previous Paris Olympics, it allows each sport’s respective international federations to determine if they will implement this system in their qualifiers. FIS, which has excluded the national teams of Russia and Belarus since 2022, has chosen not to allow neutral athletes to participate in its events.
FIS has confirmed that this decision also extends to Paralympic events under its jurisdiction. Notably, the International Paralympic Committee recently reinstated Russia and Belarus as full members.
This development arises just days before the commencement of the women’s giant slalom, the first alpine skiing World Cup event of the season in Austria. While Russia may not be a dominant force in major alpine skiing competitions, it boasts strong performances in cross-country skiing, snowboard slalom, ski jumping, and freestyle events, often securing medals.
Allowing Russian athletes to compete as neutral participants could have led to tensions between FIS and the predominantly northern European countries hosting its World Cup competitions. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, FIS initially allowed Russian skiers to compete without their national flag or anthem. However, Norway swiftly opposed this decision by announcing a ban on Russian athletes from its upcoming hosted competitions, prompting FIS to reverse its policy and exclude Russian skiers from participation.
FIS, being the largest of the nine international sports federations overseeing Olympic sports, will contribute to nearly half of the total medals awarded at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. With the absence of Russian representation in skiing events, the number of “neutral athletes” at the Games is expected to be minimal.
While some governing bodies, such as those for ice skating and ski mountaineering, have granted paths for Russian athletes to qualify, bans remain in place for sports like hockey and biathlon. A few Russian and Belarusian athletes have qualified as neutrals in various disciplines, with the possibility of more qualifiers in speed skating and ski mountaineering. In contrast, the 2022 Russian Olympic Committee team comprised 206 athletes, with 24 athletes representing Belarus.
The decision by FIS to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Winter Olympics qualifiers aligns with the ongoing geopolitical complexities surrounding international sports competitions.