Russian athletes face another Olympic isolation

Nikita Filippov, a Russian ski mountaineer, is preparing to compete at the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. He will participate as an “Individual Neutral Athlete,” a designation imposed due to ongoing sanctions related to Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

The 2024 Winter Olympics will see a limited number of Russian athletes competing under neutral status, facing restrictions on national symbols and anthems.

Neutral Athlete Status

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many sports organizations implemented bans on Russian participation. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has since established a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for the Olympics as neutral individuals, provided they meet specific criteria. These athletes are prohibited from representing their country in the opening ceremony and cannot display national symbols or hear the national anthem upon winning a medal.

Russian Participation in Milan Cortina

Currently, only three Russians and one Belarusian have received and accepted invitations to compete in the Milan Cortina Games. Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev initially projected a potential qualification for 15 to 20 athletes, but that number appears likely to be lower. Team sports, such as hockey, remain excluded from this neutral status allowance, preventing players like Alexander Ovechkin from participating.

Potential Medal Contenders

Figure skaters Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik are considered potential medal contenders, having qualified in September. Cross-country skiers Savelii Korostelev and Dariya Nepryaeva achieved top-10 finishes in the Tour de Ski series, marking their return to international competition since 2022. Other Russian athletes may also compete, depending on qualification rankings and IOC approval.

Eligibility and Restrictions

To be eligible for neutral status, athletes must not be under contract with Russian or Belarusian security agencies or the military and must not have expressed support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have questioned whether some Russian athletes fully meet these neutrality requirements.

Challenges for Russian Athletes

Russian athletes have encountered various obstacles in recent weeks. Fourteen Russian athletes were barred from entering Latvia for a luge World Cup event, and two ski jumpers have faced visa issues preventing them from participating in European World Cup events.

Past Olympic Restrictions

Russian athletes have not competed under their national flag at a Winter Olympics since hosting the 2014 Sochi Games, which were marred by doping allegations. Subsequent Games in Pyeongchang (2018) and Beijing (2022) saw Russian athletes compete under different designations – “Olympic Athletes from Russia” and the “Russian Olympic Committee” – without the national anthem.

Ongoing Concerns

The World Anti-Doping Agency continues to list Russia’s national testing body as noncompliant and restricts in-person checks. Russia denies state involvement in doping. Scrutiny of athlete welfare remains, particularly in figure skating, following the controversy surrounding Kamila Valieva’s positive drug test at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Adeliia Petrosian, coached by Eteri Tutberidze, is one of the few female skaters to land a quadruple jump in competition, though her limited international experience as a neutral athlete means she has yet to achieve this feat outside of Russia.