Overview
- The Court of Arbitration for Sport said athletes from Russia and Belarus who meet IOC Individual Neutral Athlete criteria must be admitted to FIS qualification events, partially upholding appeals by the Russian and Belarusian federations and 17 athletes.
- Requests on how to set and apply neutral-eligibility checks were dismissed as these remain under FIS control, despite the October 21 FIS Council vote that extended a season-long exclusion.
- Time is short for approvals and competition entries, with a Jan. 18 qualification cutoff cited for some events, limited chances to earn ranking points, and possible visa obstacles for travel to World Cup stops.
- The ruling also opens Paralympic routes, with Russian officials saying competitors in FIS Para disciplines can use national symbols, aligning with the IPC’s easing of restrictions.
- The decision follows recent arbitration wins in luge and bobsleigh, and comes as the IOC has already cleared three figure skaters from Russia and Belarus to take part in Milano-Cortina 2026.