FIS Bans Russian Athletes from Milan-Cortina Olympic Qualifiers

Aleksandr Khoroshilov RUS GEPA pictures

FIS Blocks Russian Athletes from Milan-Cortina Olympic Qualifiers

OBERHOFEN, Switzerland — The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has voted to keep Russian and Belarusian athletes out of all qualification events for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, reaffirming its firm stance against participation by both nations amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

A Clear Decision Before the Olympic Season

The FIS Council announced its decision Tuesday, just days before the first Alpine World Cup race of the season — the women’s giant slalom in Sölden, Austria. The move effectively shuts Russian and Belarusian skiers and snowboarders out of dozens of Olympic qualifying events, including those under the Paralympic banner.

While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) permits athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes,” each sport’s governing body can decide whether to adopt that approach. FIS has chosen not to. The organization, which banned both nations’ teams in 2022, said its position will also extend to Paralympic events it oversees.

The International Paralympic Committee had only recently reinstated Russia and Belarus as full members, but FIS’s decision ensures that their athletes will remain sidelined in Olympic qualification for now.

Russia’s Reaction: ‘Deep Disappointment’

Russia’s national ski association condemned the move as “discriminatory,” expressing frustration over what it described as political punishment beyond athletes’ control.

“We will continue to actively pursue all available avenues to ensure that athletes are not penalized for political circumstances beyond their control, including through legal action,” the federation said in a statement.

FIS has not commented further on potential legal challenges, but its decision could create tension with nations that have pushed for continued bans since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Context and Potential Friction

The ruling comes as international skiing prepares for a critical Olympic qualification period. Although Russia is not considered a powerhouse in Alpine skiing, its athletes have long been dominant in cross-country, ski jumping, freestyle, and snowboard disciplines. Their exclusion removes several medal contenders from the path to Milan-Cortina.

Allowing Russian athletes to compete as neutrals could have caused conflict with host nations in northern Europe — especially Norway, Sweden, and Finland — which have consistently opposed Russian participation. In 2022, Norway declared that Russian skiers would not be allowed to compete in its events, forcing FIS to reverse its initial policy and impose a full ban just days after the invasion began.

How Other Winter Sports Are Handling Russia

FIS governs nearly half of all medal events in the Winter Games, making its stance highly influential. Its decision ensures that few, if any, Russian athletes will qualify through skiing or snowboarding routes.

By contrast, other federations have taken varied approaches. Ice skating and the new Olympic discipline of ski mountaineering have opened limited paths for neutral athletes. Two Russian figure skaters and one Belarusian qualified as neutrals last month, and at least one Russian has secured a place in ski mountaineering.

Meanwhile, sports such as hockey and biathlon continue to uphold bans, while others — including bobsled and skeleton — are under review. Earlier this week, the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation announced that its appeals tribunal had partially overturned a previous ban. The ruling obliges the organization to allow athletes meeting IOC neutrality criteria to compete, pending further discussion.

Looking Ahead to Milan-Cortina

The FIS decision significantly reduces Russia’s presence in Olympic winter sports. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the Russian Olympic Committee sent 206 athletes, while Belarus sent 24. At Milan-Cortina, the number of neutral athletes could shrink to single digits, depending on how other sports proceed.

With the Olympic qualification calendar now underway, the federation’s stance reinforces the deep political and sporting divisions still shaping global competition more than three years after the war began. For now, the slopes of Europe will remain closed to Russian and Belarusian skiers — at least on the road to Milan-Cortina.

Reporting based on information from The Associated Press.