Three figure skaters, two Russians and one Belarusian, approved to compete as neutrals at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games by the IOC
TWO Russian and one Belarusian figure skater have been approved to compete as neutral athletes at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee confirmed on Thursday that Russians Petr Gumennik, 23, and Adeliia Petrosian, 18, along with Belarusian Viktoriia Safonova, 22, can participate under a neutral flag.
The trio had already qualified for the Games through International Skating Union events in Beijing last September before undergoing a secondary IOC review.
They are expected to form part of a very small delegation from both countries at the Games running from February 6 to 22.
Russian and Belarusian skaters have been banned from ISU competitions since the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
The IOC stated this initial list “will be updated in line with the decisions of the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel.”
Fifteen Russians and 17 Belarusians competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning five medals combined.
Winter sports federations appear significantly more hesitant to allow athletes from both countries to compete in Italy.
The International Ski Federation, whose disciplines account for over half of Olympic medals, maintains a strict ban alongside the biathlon federation.
The luge governing body also maintained a lengthy ban until recently.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport opened the door for Russian lugers’ reinstatement in late October, ruling their exclusion disproportionate.
This triggered a Russian appeal against FIS intransigence that must be decided before December 10.
At the Beijing 2022 Olympics concluding just before the Ukraine invasion, the Russian delegation won 32 medals while Belarusians won two. – AFP
