Ski body blocks Russian, Belarusian athletes from 2026 Winter Olympics | Sports

PARIS, Oct 22, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The International Ski Federation (FIS) announced on Tuesday that Russian and Belarusian athletes in its disciplines will not be able to qualify for next year's Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Competitors in skiing and snowboarding from the two countries have been banned from FIS events since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but they had hoped to participate under a neutral banner in the Games, which run from February 6-22, 2026. "The FIS Council convened this Tuesday and voted not to facilitate the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) in FIS qualification events for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Games," FIS said. During the 2022...