The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled unlawful the decision of the International Ski Federation (FIS) to suspend athletes from Russia and Belarus, opening the way for them to participate in international competitions, including the 2026 Winter Olympics, provided they maintain neutral status. This is reported by EuroNews, writes UNN.
Details
CAS partially upheld appeals filed by groups of Russian and Belarusian skiers who challenged the October decision of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation. At that time, FIS decided not to admit athletes from these countries even in neutral status, effectively depriving them of the opportunity to participate in the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The arbitration decision states that athletes who meet the criteria defined by FIS must be allowed to compete in international competitions in a completely neutral format – without national symbols or any state attributes.
Paralympians are mentioned separately: CAS ruled that they should receive the same conditions as participants from other countries.
Despite statements by Russian sports officials about the possibility of returning to national flags and attributes, international rules currently do not provide for this, and any participation can only be allowed in a strictly neutral status.
The CAS decision obliges FIS to review the admission criteria and ensure their application before the start of the Olympic season.
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