Russian Athletes To Compete At The Milan Cortina Games, But Not For Russia

For nan 2nd consecutive Olympic Games, nary athletes will compete nether nan Russian flag.

Instead, 13 Russians will participate successful nan Milan Cortina Games — which statesman Friday — arsenic Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs), a nickname that will besides see 7 Belarusians.

The nickname comes arsenic nan warfare successful Ukraine continues to rage. A caller information of bid talks is scheduled for this week, pinch U.S. efforts to agent an extremity to nan conflict having truthful acold been unsuccessful.

The AIN nickname follows connected from nan Paris 2024 Games, which likewise excluded Russia and Belarus. Just for illustration successful Paris, athletes from Russia and Belarus won’t beryllium included successful nan opening ceremony, nor will their countries’ flags beryllium flown. If immoderate of nan athletes apical nan podium astatine nan extremity of an event, their nations’ anthems won’t beryllium played.

The determination to oust some nations from nan Olympics follows Russia’s penetration of Ukraine successful precocious February 2022, conscionable days aft nan extremity of nan Beijing Games, which featured nan then-Russian Olympic Committee. Belarus has provided captious support to Russia successful nan war, prompting nan International Olympic Committee (IOC) to manus down nan aforesaid reward to some nations.

The IOC’s Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel gets nan last telephone connected who gets invitations to nan Games. Once they are accepted, athletes must motion a Conditions of Participation shape that “contains a committedness to respect nan Olympic Charter, including ‘the bid ngo of nan Olympic Movement.’”

To make it connected nan team, AINs from Russia and Belarus also must prove they aren’t actively supporting nan warfare successful Ukraine.

Russia has historically been a powerhouse successful nan Winter Olympics. It is often among nan countries pinch nan highest badge counts astatine nan extremity of nan Games, including successful 2022, erstwhile nan Russian Olympic Committee earned nan second-most full medals.

This year, nan 13 Russian athletes will participate successful conscionable 7 events: 2 successful Alpine skiing, 2 successful cross-country skiing, 2 successful fig skating, 2 successful luge, 2 successful short track, 1 successful skis mountaineering and 2 successful velocity skating.

Russian athletes person competed nether a big of titles done nan years acknowledgment to scandals and nan changing scenery of nan Soviet Union. The 2016 Games successful Rio de Janeiro is nan past clip Russia was allowed to usage its ain sanction and correspond itself arsenic a country.

That year, a whistleblower exposed a widespread doping scandal executed by nan country, prompting nan IOC to prohibition Russia opening successful 2017. The IOC didn’t enforce nan prohibition successful clip for nan Olympics successful Rio.

In 2018, Russian athletes who passed supplier tests competed successful PyeongChang, South Korea, arsenic the Olympic Athletes from Russia.

The pursuing year, nan World Anti-Doping Agency banned Russia from each world sports competitions for 4 years.

Russia appealed, and nan prohibition was group to expire aft 2 years, but it would person been successful effect successful 2022 for nan Games successful Beijing, according to NBC Olympics. But conscionable days aft nan closing ceremony, Russia invaded Ukraine, starring to a 2023 prohibition of nan Russian Olympic Committee for nan Paris Games successful 2024. The prohibition doesn’t person an extremity date, and it isn’t clear whether Russia will beryllium backmost connected nan Olympic representation successful clip for Los Angeles 2028.

Russia, which typically delivers 1 of nan strongest fig skating performances, will connection only 2 athletes successful nan title this twelvemonth because of restrictions.

Petr Gumennik and Adeliia Petrosian will measurement successful to correspond their federation connected nan ice, and according to The Associated Press, they are nan likeliest to badge of each nan AINs crossed events.

At nan 2022 Games, nan Russian Olympic Committee took home 32 medals, including 5 gold, but not 1 for Kamila Valieva, nan teenage fig skating phenom who sewage tied up astatine nan halfway of a doping scandal. Her squad golden was stripped, but moreover without her score, nan Russian team still earned bronze.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport suspended Valieva for 4 years starting successful 2021.