Ban on Russia for Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Confirmed
29th May 2025
Last modified on August 26th, 2025
The International Olympic Committee has clarified the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Russia’s participation at the approaching Winter Games.
The IOC has made clear that the sanction against Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine still stands.
According to Reuters, the IOC confirmed that Russian teams remain excluded from Milan-Cortina 2026.
See more on Inside the Games.
“The recommendation of the IOC Executive Board from March 2023 regarding teams of athletes holding Russian passports remains in force,” the IOC told Reuters.
“It is based on the premise that, by definition, a group of individual neutral athletes cannot be considered a team.
“We take note that the IIHF has confirmed it will follow this recommendation, which was made after consultations with the relevant International Federations and other stakeholders of the Olympic Movement.”
A small number of athletes from Russia and Belarus received the green light from the IOC to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, after passing a strict evaluation process.
They participated under neutral status, without officially representing their countries or using national symbols such as the flag or anthem.
Image c/o Milan-Cortina 2026
On 28 February 2022, the IOC recommended that international sports federations ban athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine.
Following this, most governing bodies implemented the exclusion.
The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics take place next February.
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