ISU allows Russian athletes to compete in tournaments under neutral status

ISU allows Russian athletes to compete in tournaments under neutral status The press release emphasized that athletes or team members are not eligible to compete as neutral athletes if they are on active duty in the armed forces or security agencies of Russia or Belarus© Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesGENEVA, June 30. /TASS/. The International Skating Union (ISU) Council has allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions during the 2026-27 season under neutral status, the press service said in a release. "By ISU Communication 2469, the ISU Council imposed protective measures under which, until further notice, no skaters and no officials affiliated with the ISU members in Russia (the Russian Skating Union and the Figure Skating Federation of Russia) and Belarus (the Skating Union of Belarus) were invited or permitted to participate in international competitions, including ISU championships and other ISU events, and no international competitions were to be held in Russia or Belarus. Those measures were expressly stated not to be a sanction, disciplinary measure or ineligibility decision, but to have been taken exclusively in the interests of the safety of participants and the integrity of the competitions. With effect from the 2026/2027 season, the protective measure set out in Communication 2469 is partially lifted insofar as it applies to skaters affiliated with the ISU members in Russia and Belarus, so that such skaters may participate in ISU events and international competitions as neutral athletes, without items of state recognition (namely national flags, national kit and national anthems), subject to the conditions in this communication," the document said. "Neutral athletes affiliated with the ISU members in Russia and Belarus may participate in team competitions as part of an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) team, subject to the general qualification criteria for the relevant competitions. This applies to team events including synchronized skating, speed skating team pursuit, short track relay events and the ISU World Team Trophy. An AIN team competes as a neutral team, without items of state recognition, and each member of the team remains subject to the eligibility and neutrality conditions set out in this communication," the ISU added. The press release emphasized that athletes or team members are not eligible to compete as neutral athletes if they are on active duty in the armed forces or security agencies of Russia or Belarus, have actively participated in combat operations since February 2022, or have actively and publicly supported the special military operation in Ukraine. The ISU Council will determine eligibility to compete, and may delegate the assessment to an independent commission. In March 2022, the ISU decided to suspend Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions organized under its auspices due to the situation in Ukraine. At the Olympics in Italy last February, figure skaters Adelia Petrosyan and Pyotr Gumennik, speed skaters Ksenia Korzhova and Anastasia Semenova, and short track speed skaters Alena Krylova and Ivan Posashkov competed as neutrals. 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