Approval has been granted to three skiers from Russia and six from Belarus, including former Olympic and world champions, to participate in the qualifying events for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Games in February. Following their exclusion during the Ukrainian military invasion, these athletes are expected to make their return at Davos in Switzerland shortly. Savelii Korostelev, a former world junior cross-country ski champion, indicated on his social media platforms that he will debut in competition this weekend.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) confirmed that the applications of these nine athletes have been accepted, allowing them to attain neutral athlete status and compete for the first time since February 2022.
The FIS did not disclose whether any applications were rejected or how many, but the Russian ski federation informed the state news agency TASS that six of its athletes had requested neutral status.
Before being invited to the Winter Games opening on Feb. 6, the qualified athletes must undergo further scrutiny by the International Olympic Committee. Russian athletes have been excluded from team events based on IOC guidelines to sports bodies, a measure that was enforced during the Paris Summer Games last year.
Athletes seeking to compete as neutral individuals without national symbols should not have publicly supported the war or have affiliations with military or state security agencies.
Title-winning athletes
Belarusian freestyle skier Hanna Huskova secured gold in women’s aerials at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and claimed silver in Beijing four years later.
Anastasia Tatalina, a Russian athlete, was the Big Air world champion in 2021 and finished fourth in freeski slopestyle at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. She also competed in Pyeongchang.
Russian cross-country skiers Korostelev and Dariya Nepryaeva received neutral status ahead of the World Cup races scheduled for this weekend in Davos.
Both athletes clinched world junior titles on Feb. 25, 2022, just a day after the war commenced, while competing in Norway. Prior to this, Nepryaeva’s elder sister, Natalya, left the Beijing Winter Games with gold, silver, and bronze medals in cross-country skiing.
Court ruling paved the way for Russian athletes
Last week, the Russian ski federation and athletes obtained a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport that compelled the FIS to begin processing applications for neutral status.
Russian athletes and team officials may encounter difficulties securing visas to enter countries hosting qualifying