Three figure skaters, including a potential Olympic gold medalist, have been granted permission by the International Olympic Committee to participate as neutral athletes at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Games in February. Among them is 18-year-old Adeliia Petrosian, who demonstrated her medal-winning abilities in the women’s singles event by triumphing at an Olympic qualifying competition in Beijing last September.
Petr Gumennik, the reigning Russian singles champion, emerged victorious in the men’s event in Beijing two months ago, while Viktoriia Safonova of Belarus secured a fourth-place finish behind Petrosian. These athletes have also been authorized to compete under neutral status, as confirmed by the IOC.
The Beijing qualifying competition marked the first occasion where Russian skaters were permitted by the International Skating Union to participate following the commencement of the full military invasion of Ukraine in 2022, just four days after the conclusion of the Beijing Olympics. The IOC is undergoing its own evaluation process to approve Russian and Belarusian athletes for neutral status at Milan-Cortina, similar to the procedure carried out before the 2024 Paris Summer Games.
In order to be eligible, individual athletes must not have shown support for the invasion of Ukraine or have affiliations with Russian or Belarusian military and state security entities. Additionally, the figure skaters must acknowledge their individual invitations and pledge to uphold the Olympic Charter, as outlined by the IOC.
Adeliia Petrosian, a rising star in figure skating, is the latest standout talent mentored by coach Eteri Tutberidze, who garnered attention for her controversial presence at the Beijing Olympics.