"The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has partially overturned a blanket exclusion on Russian and Belarusian athletes seeking neutral status, potentially allowing a number of them to return to competition ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy. The ruling only affects individual athletes that can meet the requirement of neutrality while Russian and Belarusian national teams remain barred."
"CAS announced on December 2, 2025,m that it had upheld two appeals-one by the Russian Ski Federation (RSF) and one by the Belarusian Ski Union (BSU)-against a resolution by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), issued on October 21, 2025. That resolution had refused to "facilitate the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN)" in FIS-qualifying events for 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games."
"CAS found the decision to be a "blanket exclusion" based solely on nationality-a policy that conflicts with FIS's own statutes demanding political neutrality and non-discrimination. As a result, CAS ruled that eligible Russian and Belarusian athletes must be allowed to participate in FIS qualification events - provided they meet the Neutral Athlete criteria defined by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)."
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially overturned a blanket exclusion preventing Russian and Belarusian athletes from seeking Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status, enabling certain athletes to pursue qualification for the 2026 Winter Olympics. CAS upheld appeals by the Russian Ski Federation and Belarusian Ski Union against a FIS resolution of October 21, 2025 that denied facilitating AIN participation. CAS found the nationality-based blanket exclusion contradicted FIS statutes requiring political neutrality and non-discrimination. The ruling permits named athletes who meet IOC Neutral Athlete criteria to compete in FIS qualification events, while national teams and broader reinstatements remain barred.
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