The 2026 Winter Olympics are just around the corner. This event offers the world a unique opportunity to unite as some of the most exceptional athletes showcase their talents in competitions we can only admire from afar.
Yet, it’s important to note that the Olympics won’t occur in isolation.
The global landscape is rife with uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions can cast long shadows even on such grand events. This includes the upcoming Winter Olympics, which are set against a backdrop of significant instability in various regions.
And these Olympics are, in fact, intertwined with the current events—particularly regarding two nations: Russia and Belarus, and their participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Why are Belarus and Russia excluded from the Olympics?
Belarus and Russia face bans from the Olympics because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) made its decision to exclude these countries shortly after the end of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Russia was banned due to its actions in Ukraine, while Belarus was excluded for supporting that invasion and serving as a staging ground for military operations.
How will players from Russia and Belarus participate?
While both nations are banned from team participation in the Olympics, individual athletes from Russia and Belarus can still compete. They will do so as Individual Neutral Athletes (or Athlete Individuelle Neutre, AIN), as confirmed by the IOC. This category is reserved for athletes with Belarusian or Russian passports who have been deemed eligible to compete.
However, some restrictions apply.
Firstly, teams comprising players with these nationalities will not be allowed. Consequently, this means some well-known athletes won’t have the chance to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The IOC plans to assess each athlete for any support they may have shown for the invasion of Ukraine. Athletes who are seen as endorsing the war won’t be eligible, nor will support personnel who may back such efforts. Also, those under contract with Russia’s military or security services are prohibited from participating.
Like the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, there will be a panel evaluating the qualifications of each athlete and their support staff for the competition in Milan-Cortina.
While these individuals won’t join in the team parade during the opening ceremony because they’re competing as individuals, they will have their own experiences of the competition. Still, they could attend the closing ceremony collectively.
Moreover, there’s an AIN flag and anthem specifically for these athletes.
Will players from Russia and Belarus be completely excluded?
As previously mentioned, individual athletes from these countries can indeed compete as AIN under their neutral flag.
That said, Russia won’t be able to have a hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The NHL has stated that its players will be participating for the first time since the 2014 Sochi Olympics. So, one might think we’d see stars like Nikita Kucherov or Alex Ovechkin taking to the ice for Team Russia, but unfortunately, as things stand, they’ll have to watch the events just like the rest of us.
What happened to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC)?
If you’ve been following the Olympics for a while, you might be curious about the status of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).
It’s not the first time Russia’s been sidelined. The IOC banned participation in the Winter Olympics back in 2017 following a doping scandal tied to the 2014 Sochi Games; however, they made an exception for the 2018 Olympics, allowing athletes to compete as Olympic Athletes of Russia (OAR). In that scenario, they sported neutral uniforms and were celebrated under the Olympic flag.
After the IOC found that OAR athletes had passed doping tests, the ROC was reinstated. But, following the recent invasion of Ukraine, that ban returned. The IOC acted after the ROC expressed intentions to include regional sports groups from areas recognized by the Ukrainian NOC as its territory.
The IOC remarked on this violation of the Olympic Charter, which underlines respect for territorial integrity.
The ban on the ROC has been in place since October 2023, remaining effective until further notice. The IOC also indicated it would reserve the right to address eligibility issues for individual neutral athletes from Russia concerning the upcoming Olympics in Paris and Milan-Cortina.
