January 2026
Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games under the designation “AIN” Athlètes Individuels Neutres (Individual Neutral Athletes) according to a series of January 2026 announcements from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and national federations .
This status is a continuation of sanctions related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and previous doping controversies . AIN athletes are not permitted to represent their countries with flags, anthems, or national colors, and are barred from the opening ceremony’s athlete parade . Athletes from team sports, most notably Russia’s ice hockey team, remain entirely excluded from the Games .
The IOC and international sports federations individually vet athletes for neutral status, requiring them to have not actively supported the war and not be contracted to state military or security agencies . In January, the IOC confirmed several more Russian athletes had passed these checks, bringing the total known by mid-month to five Russians and one Belarusian . These included two short-track speed skaters approved on 13 January Ivan Posashkov (men’s 1,000m) and Alena Krylova (women’s 500m) who joined previously approved figure skaters Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik, and ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov . The Russian national hockey team, which remains banned from international competition, is absent from the tournament .
The use of the “AIN” designation marks a change from the “ROC” (Russian Olympic Committee) used at previous Games. This new status features a specific teal-colored flag and a wordless anthem .
References:
- CBS News. “What country is AIN in the Olympics, and why can’t Russia compete as ROC in the 2026 Winter Games?” cbsnews.com, February 2026, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-country-ain-roc-russia-winter-olympics-2026/ .
- U.S. News. “Two More Russian Athletes Approved for Milan Cortina Olympics With Neutral Status.” usnews.com, 13 Jan. 2026, https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2026-01-13/two-more-russian-athletes-approved-for-milan-cortina-olympics-with-neutral-status .
- The Athletic. “What Russia’s hockey team would look like and how its absence affects the Olympics.” nytimes.com/athletic, 7 Feb. 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7016493/2026/02/07/olympic-hockey-team-russia-players/ .
