Figure skating chaos: ISU allows Russians under runs on the Olympic qualification!

Figure skating chaos: ISU allows Russians under runs on the Olympic qualification!

The International Ice Laufunion (ISU) has decided that athletes from Russia and Belarus can take part in qualification competitions for the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 under a neutral flag. This decision comes after the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and refers to the disciplines of figure skating, ice skating and shorttrack. However, despite this relaxation, the ISU remains clearly in its position that the Russian attack war against Ukraine continues to be convicted, as the ISU emphasized in a message and also

To participate, the athletes must follow strictly. In addition to approval of public statements on the topic of war, there may be no contractual relationships with the Russian or Belarusian military. In addition, only one neutral athlete per event is approved, and the relay or team participation is not possible, with exceptions in couple dance and ice dance in figure skating. The ISU has supported Ukraine ice skating associations since the beginning of the conflict and continues to underline its solidarity with all those affected by this war. The organization remains vigilant and will observe the situation in Ukraine and its effects on the ice skating community, as in the communication of ISU is.

The reactions to this decision are split. While the ISU emphasizes to pursue its support for Ukraine, some prominent Russian trainers and athletes express their outrage over the restrictive measures. The Olympic figure skating champion Tatiana Navka described the decision as "stupidity and injustice" and demanded more consideration in sports policy. Similarly, the Olympic silver medalist Ilya Averbukh, who sees the guideline as harmful to the development of world ice skating. These heated discussions show how much the topic of the sports community continues to polarize and what challenges are ahead of the athletes concerned.