The World DanceSport Federation -WDSF- has abolished the Individual Neutral Athlete -AIN- and Official Individual Neutral -OIN- categories with immediate effect, together with the eligibility checks, declarations and specific restrictions associated with these statuses. Individuals holding a Russian passport or sporting nationality will now be able to participate in its competitions under the general rules applicable to all other athletes and officials.
The decision follows the International Olympic Committee -IOC- provisionally lifting the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee -ROC- on 7 July and declaring that its 2022 and 2023 recommendations concerning Russian participation were no longer applicable. The IOC justified the change after concluding that the ROC no longer included regional sports organisations from territories under the jurisdiction of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine and had confirmed that it would not operate in those territories. International federations, however, retain the authority to decide on access to their competitions, the use of national symbols and the organisation of events in Russia. The IOC itself has yet to determine whether the Russian flag, anthem and colours will be permitted at the Olympic Games. The result is an international landscape without a common position: some federations have chosen full reintegration, others have adopted partial or event-by-event approaches, while several continue to enforce exclusions.
The end of neutral status in DanceSport
The WDSF has fully repealed the policy governing the participation of Russian athletes, support personnel and officials. The dedicated screening procedures, individual declarations and restrictions created under the neutrality framework therefore cease to apply. Entry and eligibility will now be determined by the federation’s statutes, competition rules, licensing requirements, disciplinary provisions and general anti-doping obligations.
The removal of this framework does not eliminate every differentiated control. The WDSF has approved specific anti-doping standards for athletes holding a Russian passport or sporting nationality, including mandatory criteria for their inclusion in testing pools at competitions, enhanced measures and independent supervision at events staged in Russian territory. The programme will be implemented alongside the International Testing Agency -ITA- and continuously reviewed in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency -WADA-.
Different levels of reintegration in handball, boxing and curling
The International Handball Federation -IHF- approved the full reintegration of Russian and Belarusian teams, officials, referees, lecturers and experts on 15 July, without additional eligibility checks. The federation had begun in March with a limited return through youth friendly matches and now only anticipates an operational transition period. World Boxing also accepted on 30 July that Russian athletes would compete in the same way as representatives of any other national federation, ending the AIN system introduced in April, which had prohibited national flags, anthems and uniforms and required individual screening. It will nevertheless continue to monitor the conduct of Russian delegations and their compliance with anti-doping rules. The Russian Boxing Federation currently retains endorsed member status, allowing it to compete but not vote, and its admission as a full member must be ratified by Congress in Panama on 20 November.
World Curling has taken a more limited approach. Since January, it has allowed Russian and Belarusian junior athletes to return, following the IOC’s earlier recommendation for youth categories, but has not announced an equivalent readmission for adults. A Russian pair entered the World Junior Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in May but was unable to travel to Canada because of delays in obtaining visas. The disagreement has also entered the legal arena: the federation’s June minutes stated that submissions for proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport were being finalised, while a related case before the Swiss courts had been adjourned until the sports tribunal determined whether it had jurisdiction.
Ice hockey and athletics maintain restrictions
The International Ice Hockey Federation -IIHF- has chosen to assess each championship separately. Its Disciplinary Board annulled the general decision excluding Russia from the entire 2026-2027 season in May, but clarified that the ruling did not automatically reinstate the country and returned the matter to the Council for a new assessment. On 30 July, the IIHF kept Russia out of the 2027 Men’s World Championship, World Junior Championship and both Under-18 World Championships, citing safety, security, operational feasibility and sporting integrity. Russia’s possible participation in the Women’s World Championship will be reviewed in November. The IIHF has allowed Belarus to enter selected youth and lower-division championships but continues to exclude it from the 2027 Men’s World Championship and World Junior Championship.
World Athletics continues to enforce one of the most restrictive positions. Its Council reaffirmed on 3 July the exclusion of athletes, officials and support personnel from Russia and Belarus, including under neutral status. This measure is separate from the former institutional doping suspension imposed on Russian Athletics, which was lifted in 2023, and remains linked to the war. The Russian federation filed a claim with the Court of Arbitration for Sport -CAS- on 9 July challenging the exclusion of its athletes. On 10 August, it lodged a separate claim against restrictions preventing it from participating fully in meetings, votes, technical conferences and international development programmes. World Athletics has stated that it will defend both measures before the tribunal.
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