Russian and Belarusian figure skaters get IOC approval for Winter Olympics
Russia and Belarus athletes set for Winter Olympics return
- Three figure skaters from Russia and Belarus have been granted neutral status by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
- This marks the first time athletes from these nations have received approval to participate in the upcoming Games under such conditions.
- The athletes underwent a strict vetting process, requiring them not to have actively supported Russia's war on Ukraine and to have no ties to military or state security organisations.
- The approved skaters are Russia's Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik, along with Belarus's Viktoriia Safonova, all of whom competed in a recent Olympic qualifying event.
- They will compete as "individual neutral athletes", meaning they will not represent their countries or display national symbols.