ISU Allows Russian and Belarusian Skaters Return as “Neutral” Athletes for 2026/27 Season

The International Skating Union (ISU) Council has officially decided to reintroduce skaters from Russia and Belarus to international events for the upcoming 2026/2027 competitive season, according to the newly released ISU Communication 2804 on June 30.

Under the revised guidelines, athletes from the two nations will be permitted to participate strictly as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN). Returning skaters must compete without any form of state recognition, meaning national flags, state symbols on kits, and national anthems are strictly prohibited.

The ISU emphasized that continued participation will depend entirely on athletes demonstrating no breaches of their mandated neutral status.

However, the returning federations will face competitive bottlenecks. Because Russian and Belarusian skaters have been absent from ISU events for over three years, they have been unable to accrue official ranking points. As a result, the ISU will restrict its entry quotas to the minimum baselines typically allocated to member federations participating in their very first season of international competition.

The council noted that its decision followed developments across the wider Olympic Movement, pointing specifically to the participation of neutral athletes during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, which it stated concluded without related incidents.

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The ISU says it has prioritized the readmission of active competitors, but the ban on sports officials from Russia and Belarus remains firmly in place, though the governing body is currently developing a pathway for their eventual return.

Recent footage from a European championship had captured Russian athletes walking off the podium the moment the Ukrainian national anthem began playing.

While the ISU claims this decision protects the integrity of fair sport, the reality of Russian “neutrality” remains highly controversial. Many of Russia’s elite skaters are deeply embedded in the state’s military apparatus, holding contracts with military-affiliated clubs or serving as pro-war influencers who perform in propaganda ice shows, showing how the Kremlin uses athletes to “sportswash” its war crimes.

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