Only 4 Russian figure skaters approved for 2026 Olympic qualification event as neutrals

The Associated Press

· Posted: May 13, 2025 1:20 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Four Russian fig skaters were approved Tuesday by the International Skating Union to effort to suffice for the 2026 Winter Olympics arsenic neutral athletes who person not supported the penetration of Ukraine, including 17-year-old nationalist champion Adelia Petrosian.

No Russian athletes, however, were approved to vie successful the pairs and crystal creation disciplines astatine a one-off Olympic qualification gathering successful September successful Beijing. The 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics unfastened connected Feb. 6.

The ISU said "not each nominated athletes passed the rigorous screening" and the eligibility decisions by its ruling assembly are "final with respect to each applicants and not taxable to appeal."

Russians and Belarusians person been banned from planetary skating events since the afloat subject penetration of Ukraine started successful February 2022, 4 days aft the Beijing Winter Games closed.

The ISU antecedently said Russia and Belarus tin person conscionable 1 rival — individual, pair, oregon crystal creation mates — successful each subject astatine the Olympics.

At the 2024 Paris Summer Games, Russia was banned from squad sports though a tiny radical of idiosyncratic Russian athletes ended up being allowed to vie arsenic approved neutral athletes. They were judged not to person publically supported the warfare oregon person ties to the subject oregon authorities information agencies.

A akin process successful underway up of the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics.

The ISU said it "thoroughly examined nationalist appearances and statements made by the nominated (neutral athletes) since February 2022, to measure immoderate progressive enactment for the penetration of Ukraine oregon immoderate contractual links to Russian oregon Belarusian subject and different nationalist information agencies."

Petrosian is the apt prima sanction among the Russian fig skaters.

The two-time nationalist champion turns 18 successful June and is coached by Eteri Tutberidze. The storied Russian squad mentor was a arguable fig astatine the Beijing Olympics coaching gold-medal favourite Kamila Valieva done a doping scandal, and the eventual golden medalist Anna Shcherbakova.

The apt back-up women's skater approved for the Olympic qualifier is 17-year-old Alina Gorbacheva.

The 2 men's idiosyncratic skaters approved arsenic eligible to suffice are Petr Gummenik and Vladislav Dikidzhi.