The publication of the first list of Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) marks a turning point in the road to Milano Cortina 2026. The International Ski Federation revealed the names of nine Russian and Belarusian athletes who have been cleared to compete in qualifying events, provided they formally agree to the conditions linked to their status. This is a complex process, loaded with sporting, ethical, and personal implications, in a scenario where each decision affects not only careers but also life stories framed within an extraordinary political context.
Starting December 2, athletes and support teams began contacting the FIS individually to request AIN status, initiating exhaustive reviews aimed at ensuring compliance with the Individual Neutral Athletes Policy. While more applications are expected to move forward and new approvals are made public, the process continues under international scrutiny involving federations, independent panels, and legal bodies. In parallel, a recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) opened a new dimension, allowing the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the qualifying events, despite initial opposition from the FIS.
A process under review: eligibility, neutrality, and independent decisions
Each application to obtain AIN status undergoes a thorough review that includes verifications conducted by an independent third party, whose report serves as the basis for the final decision of the FIS Eligibility Review Panel. This mechanism, designed to ensure transparency, seeks to separate sport from any considerations unrelated to the competitive sphere. The federation confirmed it will continue updating the list of approved athletes in the coming days and weeks as more files are assessed and new authorizations granted.
The impact of the CAS ruling proved decisive in unblocking the process. Both chambers of the tribunal agreed that Russian and Belarusian athletes who meet IOC criteria must have access to the qualifiers, affirming that applying the AIN criteria is the exclusive prerogative of the FIS. The decision came in a context where national federations and a group of 17 athletes appealed the previous interpretation of the guidelines. Now, with the legal clarity provided by CAS, the FIS has acknowledged the ruling and reiterated that AIN applications must be submitted through the established channels.
Voices, context, and the symbolic weight of competing in neutrality
Reactions were swift, revealing the human dimension behind the process. Russia’s Minister of Sports, Mikhail Degtyarev, noted that the number of athletes who ultimately manage to compete may not exceed two dozen, but he emphasized the symbolic value of each presence in such a demanding arena. In his words, every victory “will be worth its weight in gold” given the complexity of the journey athletes face under extraordinary circumstances. This reality is reflected in the specific cases of athletes such as Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik, previously confirmed by the IOC to compete under neutral status.
The FIS, for its part, responded to the ruling by reaffirming the need to follow a rigorous procedure aligned with the Individual Neutral Athletes Policy. In its statement, the federation stressed its obligation to ensure that each application undergoes eligibility checks and verification. The IOC, which banned Russian athletes from participating in 2022 following the start of the war in Ukraine and Belarus’s support, acknowledged that the FIS statutes uphold principles of non-discrimination and political neutrality — key elements highlighted by CAS to enable progress toward the Milano Cortina 2026 qualifiers.
