Overview
- The FIS council voted on October 21 not to permit participation by Russian and Belarusian athletes, including as neutrals, in FIS-run qualification events for the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
- The federation noted that the IOC set criteria for neutral participation but affirmed that implementation rests with each international federation.
- Norway’s and Sweden’s national ski bodies publicly welcomed the continued exclusion, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine.
- Russian athletes and officials condemned the move, and Russia’s ski association indicated it may pursue an accelerated appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
- In a separate track, an IBSF appeals tribunal deemed that body’s congress ban unlawful, and the IBSF executive said it will set next steps in the coming days with Olympic ranking windows closing on January 18, 2026.