Competing at the highest level and representing your country is a dream for any athlete. It is the moment years of training, sacrifice, and belief are meant to lead to. For Russian athletes, that dream will look very different at the 2026 Winter Olympics as Russian athletes will not compete under its flag, name, or anthem in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Is Russia officially banned from the 2026 Winter Olympics?

Yes, Russia cannot compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics as a country. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that athletes from Russia will not represent their nation, even if the war in Ukraine ends before the Games.

Why did the IOC suspend the Russian Olympic Committee?

The trigger was Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The International Olympic Committee stated the war broke the Olympic Truce and went against the principle that sport should remain separate from armed conflict. Following the invasion, the IOC introduced sanctions against Russian sport.

The situation escalated further in 2023, when the Russian Olympic Committee took control of sports bodies in occupied Ukrainian regions. The IOC ruled that this crossed a legal boundary within the Olympic system.

According to the IOC, the move violated the Olympic Charter, which protects the territorial rights of every national Olympic committee. That decision led to the formal suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee.

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“The unilateral decision taken by the Russian Olympic Committee on 5 October 2023 to include, as its members, the regional sports organisations which are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine (namely Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia) constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in accordance with the Olympic Charter,” said the IOC in a statement.

Because of that breach, the IOC’s executive board suspended the ROC with immediate effect. The suspension removes the Russian Olympic Committee’s status and privileges within the Olympic Movement, including funding and the right to send teams to the Olympic Games. Hence, the ROC cannot act as a recognised national Olympic committee unless the IOC lifts the suspension.

Can Russian athletes compete as neutral athletes in 2026?

Despite the ban, some Russian athletes can still take part in the 2026 Winter Olympics, but only as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN). This means they do not represent Russia at all.

The “Individual Neutral Athlete” label is a special designation the IOC created for athletes from countries whose national Olympic committees are suspended or banned. In the case of the 2026 Games, it applies to athletes with Russian (and Belarusian) passports. They are permitted to compete only under this neutral marker, with no national identification.

This means:

• The athlete is not part of a national team.

• They compete on their own as individuals.

• They do not carry a national flag or wear national team uniforms.

• They are not counted as a “team” for team events.

Some Russian athletes, like Ivan Posashkov, Alena Krylova, and others, have already been approved by sports federations to compete under this neutral status. But it is not for everyone, as approval is not automatic.

To be eligible, athletes must meet strict requirements set by the IOC after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine:

• No Russian symbols, flag, or anthem.

• No public support for the war.

• No links to military or security forces.

These conditions come from a set of guidelines the IOC issued after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. They are intended to make sure neutral athletes are not tied to the political or military actions that led to the ban on Russia as a nation in the Olympics.

Has Russia been banned from the Olympics before?

Yes. Russia has faced bans and restrictions in the Olympics in the past, but for different reasons and in different ways than the current situation.

The International Olympic Committee banned the Russian Olympic Committee  from the PyeongChang Winter Games over a state sponsored doping scandal. The findings revealed systemic anti-doping test and laboratory manipulation, which means compromising the integrity of international sport.

However, the sanctioned Russian athletes that were cleared were allowed to compete but not as Russians but as “Olympic Athletes from Russia”. That very matter resulted in bans and sanctions on the next Games, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

2024 Paris Olympics: For the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the 2026 Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics, Russia’s role in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine led the IOC to reiterate restrictions and suspend the Russian Olympic Committee in 2023. That resulted in the continuous suspension.

How will Russia’s absence impact the 2026 Winter Olympics?

Russia has long been a powerhouse in the Winter Olympics. Historically, the country ranks around 10th all-time in Winter Olympic gold medals, with roughly 47 golds overall.

From 1994 to 2016, Russian athletes won a total of 120 medals across twelve Winter Games. Even at Beijing 2022, competing as the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), they still ranked among the top nations, winning 32 medals.

And now, their absence as a full national team in 2026 is expected to shift the power in several sports where Russia is traditionally strong.

In ice hockey, Russia has consistently been a top medal contender, winning gold in men’s ice hockey in 2018 and silver in 2022. Figure skating is another sport where Russian athletes have excelled. At Beijing 2022, ROC skaters won six medals. Cross-country skiing is also an area of Russian strength. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, ROC athletes earned three golds in cross-country skiing.

Their non-participation in 2026 will probably impact medal tallies and open the doors wide for other nations to take over.