Athletes, coaches and officials from Russia and Belarus can compete in FIS events in the 2026/2027 season if they meet neutrality conditions. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation announced the decision on Wednesday. According to skispringen.com and LAOLA1, the FIS Council met in Thun, Switzerland; LAOLA1 reported a two-day meeting. The Associated Press report carries an Oberhofen dateline.
A declaration of neutrality
According to AP, the governing body said athletes, coaches and officials from the countries
“may be granted access to FIS competitions provided that they sign a declaration of neutrality based on a set of principles established by FIS.”
FIS also warned that sanctions can be imposed. Compliance with the neutrality principles will be monitored on an ongoing basis, skispringen.com and LAOLA1 both reported. According to skispringen.com, compliance will be checked not only at the time of admission.
Individual events only
The conditions set by the Council:
- Individual events only: Team competitions are excluded, LAOLA1 reported.
- No national symbols: “The participation of athletes is restricted to individual events and is conditioned to the fact that no country symbols — such as flags, anthems, or uniforms — should be displayed,” FIS said.
- Anti-doping: Admitted athletes must meet all applicable anti-doping requirements.
AP reported that the Council has renewed its neutral-athlete policy for the winter season, which starts next month. LAOLA1 called the rules an easing for athletes from both countries, who have been largely banished from the sporting stage because of the Russian war against Ukraine waged since February 2022.
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In October 2025, the FIS Council had decided against letting Russian and Belarusian athletes compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) in qualifying events for the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Russian and Belarusian ski federations and several athletes took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which partly ruled in their favour. In December, CAS confirmed that Russian athletes with neutral status were in principle allowed to enter all FIS competitions.
AP reported that the ruling ended a near four-year ban. It let Russians return to World Cup events in Alpine, cross-country and freestyle skiing as well as snowboarding as they tried to qualify for the Milan Cortina Olympics held in February. According to skispringen.com, FIS then set up an individual vetting process that required strict neutrality since the start of the war. Athletes with links to the Russian or Belarusian military or state security bodies, and those who publicly supported the war, can be excluded.
Visa hurdles remain
AP noted that Russian athletes and team officials are still likely to struggle to get visas for some European countries that host World Cup races.
