The International Fencing Federation (FIE) has granted Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status to 18 Russian fencers, allowing them to compete in the upcoming European and World Championships under the official flag of the organization. This decision, announced just two weeks before the start of the 2025 FIE European Championships in Genoa, aims to ensure proper preparation ahead of the most significant international events of the season.

The European Championships will take place from June 14 to 19, followed by the World Championships, which will be held from July 22 to 30 in Tbilisi. The FIE released the list of authorized athletes, including Vitalina Anashchenkova, Yegor Balok, Zlata Shaposhnikova, and Kirill Onishchuk, all members of the Russian national team, who will compete without officially representing their country, in line with current International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulations.

A return conditioned by neutrality

Sanctions against Russian athletes began after the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, when the IOC recommended international federations exclude athletes from Russia and Belarus. Most organizations, including the FIE, followed this directive. It wasn’t until March 2023 that the IOC partially eased its stance, allowing participation under a neutral flag, a condition that has shaped the slow and gradual return of Russian athletes to the international circuit.

In fencing specifically, the FIE lifted its ban in March 2024 but imposed strict conditions. The recent granting of AIN status reflects an evolution in the federation’s policy, choosing to apply its own criteria, allowing only individual participation under neutral symbols. While the Russian flag and other national elements remain banned, this move represents progress for a historically dominant delegation, like Russia, which shone at Tokyo 2020 with medals in sabre, épée, and foil, and has produced world champions such as Sofya Velikaya and Inna Deriglazova.