Overview
- Russia’s biathlon federation confirmed it has lodged a complaint with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to gain access to Olympic qualifying as Individual Neutral Athletes.
- The move follows a CAS ruling that compelled the FIS to admit vetted neutral athletes to qualification events, with officials and support staff still barred.
- The FIS has cleared nine athletes so far, including Belarusian Olympic aerials champion Hanna Huskowa and Russia’s Anastassija Tatalina, and says more may be added after checks.
- Analysts doubt biathletes will qualify because many are formally affiliated with the Russian armed forces and Olympic quota places are largely allocated, with remaining wildcard points tied to World Cup starts they cannot enter.
- The IOC’s Olympic Summit recommended allowing Russians and Belarusians to return under their own flag at international youth events, while access to Milan–Cortina 2026 remains limited to vetted neutrals.