Why are Russia and Belarus banned from 2026 Winter Olympics? Explaining sanctions, neutral athlete eligibility
Some individual athletes from the banned countries will be permitted to participate in the Milano Cortina Winter Games
By
Carter Bahns
•
2 min read
Viewers of the 2026 Winter Olympics will not see Russian or Belarusian flags as both countries' Olympic teams remain under sanctions imposed due to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. That does not mean, however, that all athletes from those nations are prohibited from participating in the Milano Cortina Winter Games. Exemptions remain in place for athletes who meet certain criteria, but those eligible will compete under a neutral banner.
The International Olympic Committee announced in May 2025 that Russia and Belarus will be prohibited from competing as national delegations because of their involvement in the war in Ukraine. The IOC first called for athletes from those nations to be banned from international competition in February 2022 "to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants." Russia and Belarus were banned from the 2024 Paris Olympics under the same rationale.
Some individual athletes received clearance in the 2024 Summer Games to compete without representing their respective countries. They instead competed as Individual Neutral Athletes under a neutral flag and anthem.
Russian and Belarusian athletes who sought eligibility for the 2026 Winter Games were also required to meet the following criteria:
- Athletes and support personnel who have openly expressed support for the war in Ukraine will not be eligible.
- Athletes and support personnel who are contracted by the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies will not be eligible.
- All Individual Neutral Athletes must meet all the proper anti-doping requirements applicable to them.
A three-member panel, which included former NBA star and three-time Olympic medalist Pau Gasol, was in charge of reviewing the eligibility of each Individual Neutral Athlete.
A total of 20 athletes qualified for competition on a neutral basis. There will be six Russian men, seven Russian women and seven Belarusian women at the Winter Games competing across eight sports: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, freestyle skiing, luge, short-track speed skating, ski mountaineering and speed skating.
Belarusian freestyle skier Hanna Huskova headlines the Individual Neutral Athletes. Specializing in aerials, the 33-year-old won a gold medal in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games and silver in the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
Individual Neutral Athletes will not be included in the Parade of Nations during the Opening Ceremony. Any medals those athletes win will be excluded from the official medal count. That leaves 92 countries on the medal count, which tallies podium finishes across 16 sports.
The sanctions impact Russia significantly, as the nation is a Winter Olympics powerhouse in numerous sports. The Russian men's hockey team won silver in 2022 and gold in 2018. Russian figure skaters are also regularly among the world's best.
