"A small group of Russian and Belarusian winter-sport athletes have become the first to receive Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status from the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS), marking a significant-though extremely limited-shift in their ability to return to international competition amid ongoing sanctions linked to the Russia-Ukraine war. The list includes competitors across alpine, cross-country, freestyle, and Nordic combined, as well as several support personnel."
"The development comes in the wake of a major legal setback for FIS. On December 2, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the federation's October 21 decision to block all Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in Olympic qualifiers amounted to a "blanket exclusion" based solely on nationality-contradicting FIS's own statutes on neutrality. CAS ordered FIS to allow certain named athletes to apply for AIN status, provided they satisfy the IOC's neutrality criteria. National teams remain barred."
FIS granted Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) status to a limited number of Russian and Belarusian winter-sport athletes, enabling them to seek a restricted return to international competition. The approved individuals represent alpine, cross-country, freestyle, and Nordic combined disciplines and include several support personnel. The decision follows a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that found FIS's blanket exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from Olympic qualifiers violated the federation's neutrality statutes. CAS ordered FIS to allow certain named athletes to apply for AIN status if they meet IOC neutrality criteria. National teams remain barred under existing sanctions. Hanna Huskova is noted as one of the most decorated competitors among those listed.
#individual-neutral-athlete #court-of-arbitration-for-sport #fis-sanctions #russian-and-belarusian-athletes
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