Neutral Zone Skaters: Russians and Belarusians Cleared for 2026 Winter Games

The International Olympic Committee has allowed Russian and Belarusian figure skaters to compete independently at the 2026 Winter Games, amid ongoing sanctions. Athletes like Petr Gumennik and Adeliia Petrosian will participate without national symbols, following strict eligibility vetting for links to the Russian military or war support.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has granted three figure skaters from Belarus and Russia the opportunity to compete as neutral athletes at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games. The decision marks a significant development amid ongoing sanctions against the two countries.

Russians Petr Gumennik and Adeliia Petrosian, alongside Belarusian Viktoriia Safonova, have been declared eligible by the IOC's eligibility panel. The move comes after the ruling that Russians and Belarusians could participate as neutral athletes, without national emblems or anthems, as seen in the Paris 2024 Summer Games.

This decision follows the IOC's suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee in October 2023 for its actions in Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions. A stringent vetting process ensures competing athletes have no affiliations with the Russian military or support for the conflict in Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies.)