Russian athletes are slowly finding their way back into Olympic sport, one governing body at a time. World Aquatics opened the door first, lifting restrictions entirely and welcoming Russian swimmers back with their flag and anthem intact. Now, figure skating has followed, albeit under certain conditions. It marks the second major Olympic sport in recent months to welcome Russia back, albeit with reduced quotas for the upcoming season.

According to the latest ISU press release, both Russian and Belarusian figure skaters will be allowed to compete again. However, they won’t compete under their own flags and will be under neutral status instead.

“The International Skating Union (ISU) Council has decided to revise the position in ISU Communication 2469 to reintroduce skaters affiliated with ISU Members in Russia and Belarus to participate in ISU Events or International Competitions during the 2026/2027 season as AIN (Neutral) Athletes (read ISU Communication 2804),” the statement read. 

“Athletes representing Russia and Belarus will be able to compete without items of state recognition, namely national flags, national kits, and national anthems. Participation will be dependent on no evidence of breaches of athletes’ neutral status, which reinforces the primacy of fair sport on the ice.”

That follows the path World Aquatics took, albeit in a different way. Unlike the ISU, World Aquatics has allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own flags after lifting its restrictions in April, a decision that surprised many sporting federations. Both countries had been barred from international competition since 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to widespread sanctions against their athletes.

The geopolitical situation meant there were no athletes from either country at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Things began to change ahead of the 2026 Winter Games, with the IOC allowing them to compete as neutral athletes. The Paralympics approved their return under their own flags after voting to lift the ban in 2025. The IOC has yet to make its official decision for future competitions, but the ISU has already made its stance clear.

Even then, any figure skater seeking readmission will have to undergo rigorous checks before being cleared to compete. According to the statement, each athlete must meet a strict set of eligibility criteria, including background checks. The process is designed to verify that the skater has no ties to military service and has not publicly supported the conflict in Ukraine.

Furthermore, the “quotas of athletes will be limited to the same terms” as it would be if the member federations were in their first season. That’s because the athletes have been absent from all major and minor ISU events for more than three years.

“The ISU Council continues to call for an end to all ongoing conflicts in the world and condemns armed conflict. The ISU has provided financial support to Ukrainian skaters through various initiatives, including the ISU Development Program, contributions to the Ukrainian Skating Federation, and a support program for displaced skaters,” the statement added.

The ISU’s move also comes as the wider Olympic movement continues debating how athletes should return to international competition. IOC President Kirsty Coventry has repeatedly argued that sport should remain a space for unity rather than division.

Kirsty Coventry believes sport can unite people.

After the IOC opted to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag in Milan, the decision came under heavy criticism. More specifically, much of the backlash was directed at IOC President Coventry, as it has been in recent weeks. The 42-year-old Zimbabwean has been heavily scrutinized since taking office in June last year, largely due to the several new policies she has introduced.

That includes one that effectively banned transgender women from participating in female-category events. Not only that, but Coventry also stirred controversy when she announced that the IOC was considering allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes back into the fold. It would mean overturning their three-year Olympic ban.

“Sport – and the Olympic Games in particular – offer the opposite of the division we see in this world,” Coventry said in a video message released online. “They offer a rare space where people meet not as adversaries, but as fellow human beings. A much-needed space of peaceful competition.

Athletes can only inspire us if they are able to compete. They can only do so if we keep sport strictly neutral ground. If politics does not take over on the field of play. For all of us, this means that we must protect the autonomy of sport. So that we can tell all the athletes, no matter where they come from: yes, you can compete freely, without political interference beyond your control.”

The ISU’s decision adds another chapter to the gradual return of Russian athletes to international sport, albeit under strict conditions. Whether other Olympic federations follow the same path now remains one of the biggest questions ahead of the next Games.