Overview
- The FIS Council ruled on October 21 that Russian and Belarusian athletes cannot enter its Olympic and Paralympic qualification events as neutral competitors.
- The decision covers qualification for Milan–Cortina 2026, with the Olympics scheduled for February 6–22 and the Paralympics for March 6–15.
- FIS leadership had polled national federations before the vote, following a letter on political neutrality signed by Johan Eliasch, Michel Vion and Urs Lehmann.
- The IOC allows individuals to compete under a neutral flag in principle, while the IPC lifted sanctions in late September, yet final admission rests with each international federation.
- Policies differ across sports, with the ISU permitting conditional entries and bodies such as the IBU and the sliding sport federations maintaining bans, making only a small Russian and Belarusian presence in 2026 likely.