The International Skating Union has ended its four-year exclusion of Russian and Belarusian skaters, clearing them to compete in all its world and Grand Prix events from the 2026-27 season under a strict neutral status. The decision, announced on 30 June just hours before the new campaign begins, permits figure skaters, speed skaters and short-track specialists to take the ice as individual neutrals or as part of a neutral ‘AIN’ team, but without their national flags, anthems or federation colours. The move restores a pathway to elite competition for athletes from two of the sport’s traditional powers, though it stops short of the full reinstatement with national symbols that some other Olympic sports have adopted.

The ISU had imposed the ban in March 2022, describing it as a protective measure for the safety of participants and the integrity of competitions after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The council now says it acted on recommendations from the International Olympic Committee and on the experience of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games, where a handful of Russian and Belarusian skaters competed as neutrals in qualifying and at the Olympics themselves without security incidents. Viewed from Lausanne, the ISU’s calibrated step mirrors a broader Olympic movement trend, yet it remains more cautious than the path taken by gymnastics, fencing and aquatics, which have readmitted Russians with national emblems.

To gain entry, each athlete must pass an individual vetting process. The ISU will bar anyone on active military service or in the security services of Russia or Belarus, anyone who has taken part in combat operations against Ukraine since February 2022, and anyone who has actively and publicly supported the war. A skater denied eligibility may appeal and reapply. The same criteria apply to coaches and support staff, though Russian and Belarusian judges and officials remain excluded for at least another season, with a review promised only after the 2026-27 campaign concludes.

In Moscow, the decision was greeted with relief by senior figures in the sport. Irina Rodnina, a three-time Olympic champion and now a member of the State Duma, said she was happy for the athletes and saw no problem in competing without a flag: “If we stand on the podium without a flag and anthem, everyone will still know it’s Team Russia.” Veteran coach Tatyana Tarasova called the move important for domestic sport. Yet the competitive reality is stark. Only two Russian singles skaters, Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik, carry a world ranking from their Olympic appearances; the rest must start from zero, chasing spots through the lower-tier Challenger series and hoping for withdrawals at Grand Prix events. Russia, which once held maximum entries at European and world championships, will now be limited to a single berth per discipline.

The new season opens on 1 July with the Challenger series, where Russian skaters will begin the long climb back toward the sport’s summit. The ISU has signalled that restrictions could be eased further if no safety or integrity issues arise, but for now the neutral flag is the only one under which they may compete.