Overview
- Responding to questions tied to the U.S. operation in Venezuela, the IOC said it considers political context but does not intervene in state conflicts and focuses on enabling athlete participation regardless of origin.
- Russia’s ski jumping team says Schengen passports were held at a consulate with return promised after January 20, making it impossible to attend January 16–18 qualifiers or complete required FIS equipment measurements.
- Il Fatto Quotidiano reported that since December 2024 Ukraine has urged international federations to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes, with letters sent to bodies including the luge, ice hockey and skating federations.
- Some Russian athletes have received and accepted neutral invitations for 2026, including figure skaters Petr Gumennik and Adelia Petrosyan, ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov, and short-track skaters Ivan Posashkov and Alena Krylova.
- The IBU’s December refusal to fast-track the Russian biathlon appeal leaves suspensions in place, as 2014 Olympic medalist Evgeny Garanichev calls a 2026 return unlikely and Russian lawmakers denounce IOC decisions as political.