AINs in other sports

[snowflake]

We already know the four AINs trying to qualify in figure skating.

And skaters in other ISU disciplines are allowed to qualify as well, right?

A Russian ski mountaineering, Nikita Filippov is the first AIN to qualify. 'Skimo' is a new discipline.

IOC wants federations to nominate AINs. As for now I think the biathlon, icehockey and rodel federations are most against it. And perhaps also the cross country federation. Downhill I don't know. Not following ski jumping and sled sports that close. Curling(don't remember watching Russian curlers)?

Let's see how lucky IOC will be with letting current Russian and Belarussian athletes become olympians. Things will of course change if the war ends.

Informations and thoughts?

 

[4everchan]

Thanks for starting this thread.

I have no info as I didn't look for it... but I am sure speed skating both long track and short track "will allow" since it's also the ISU.
I personally believe that biathlon and cross country skiing shouldn't allow them based on state-sponsored doping but that's not my call obviously.

I don't think that they will do hockey since 'no teams' only individual athletes are supposed to take part... which would eliminate curling as well... in 2018, Russia got stripped of its bronze medal in mixed curling because of a doping case.

Track (sliding sports) Russians/Belarussians were not competing at worlds in 2025.

It's really the IOC insisting on federations to bring in AINs to the games as many federations haven't allowed them back yet.

 

[yuumagical]

I know this isn't related to the Winter Olympics, but I found a sport that took a slightly different approach to AIN teams than having them be under the same catchall acronym.

I was watching the World Aquatics Youth Artistic Swimming Championships (i.e. synchronized swimming) on YouTube this morning when I noticed that there were two neutral athlete teams participating. They were known as NAA (Neutral Athletes A, aka Belarus) and NAB (Neutral Athletes B, aka Russia). Separating the neutral athlete designation into an A team and a B team (literally, not figuratively) seems like a slightly better solution to me than having two neutral teams sharing the same acronym, and I would be pleased if it were implemented at the Winter Olympics.

Should I repost this in the Skate to Milano thread or not?

 

[4everchan]

I know this isn't related to the Winter Olympics, but I found a sport that took a slightly different approach to AIN teams than having them be under the same catchall acronym.

I was watching the World Aquatics Youth Artistic Swimming Championships (i.e. synchronized swimming) on YouTube this morning when I noticed that there were two neutral athlete teams participating. They were known as NAA (Neutral Athletes A, aka Belarus) and NAB (Neutral Athletes B, aka Russia). Separating the neutral athlete designation into an A team and a B team (literally, not figuratively) seems like a slightly better solution to me than having two neutral teams sharing the same acronym, and I would be pleased if it were implemented at the Winter Olympics.

Should I repost this in the Skate to Milano thread or not?

it was the same for all the swimming and diving events at world aquatics not just artistic swimming. I think the difference is that this was worlds so world aquatics could decide what they were doing... as a matter of fact, they allowed what is not allowed elsewhere which are team competitions and even relays in swimming.

In the Milano qualifying, the IOC has imposed on the ISU the participation of these athletes and I am guessing that therefore, the ISU is using AIN as it may be how the IOC will deal with that later on.

 

[SnowWhite]

For hockey, the IIHF have said Russia and Belarus won't be allowed back for this season. So no AIN hockey teams.

For curling, Russia and Belarus were banned through the end of the 2024-25 season. I haven't seen anything yet about them being allowed back or about the ban being extended. I think they won't be eligible for the qualification events without having earned points in competition the past couple seasons, and they aren't on the list for the pre-qualifying event in October. So I don't think there will be any AIN in curling.

Anyways, AIN stands for athlètes individuels neutres (individual neutral athletes). Individual is in the name, so I don't think you should be qualifying teams.

 

[4everchan]

For hockey, the IIHF have said Russia and Belarus won't be allowed back for this season. So no AIN hockey teams.

For curling, Russia and Belarus were banned through the end of the 2024-25 season. I haven't seen anything yet about them being allowed back or about the ban being extended. I think they won't be eligible for the qualification events without having earned points in competition the past couple seasons, and they aren't on the list for the pre-qualifying event in October. So I don't think there will be any AIN in curling.

Anyways, AIN stands for athlètes individuels neutres (individual neutral athletes). Individual is in the name, so I don't think you should be qualifying teams.

Yeah... Hockey is already a done deal and I think curling too because teams qualified for games at worlds last year and the one that didn't qualify could do so at the qualifying event... which is not happening for Russia etc..

and yes, it's supposed to be individual athletes which is why world aquatics was interesting as they allowed relays and artistic swimming.... which is further ahead of what the IOC is allowing.

and isn't funny that French remains the "official" language here

 

[snowflake]

No AINs in biathlon!

I’m glad. It would have been awkward watching Russian and Ukrainian biathletes shooting side by side.

Press release from International Biathlon Union

186 of the 210 Olympic quota places have already been awarded to National Olympic Committees (NOCs),

The remaining 24 places – 12 men and 12 women – will be awarded individually based on the IBU qualifying points list as of 18 January 2026, following the BMW IBU World Cup in Ruhpolding (GER).

The IBU Event & Competition rules do not provide a rule for neutral athlete participation.

 

[CelticRose22]

Yeah... Hockey is already a done deal and I think curling too because teams qualified for games at worlds last year and the one that didn't qualify could do so at the qualifying event... which is not happening for Russia etc..

and yes, it's supposed to be individual athletes which is why world aquatics was interesting as they allowed relays and artistic swimming.... which is further ahead of what the IOC is allowing.

and isn't funny that French remains the "official" language here

I found it surprising that they were allowing them to compete in relays at the world championships.

 

[4everchan]

I found it surprising that they were allowing them to compete in relays at the world championships.

I wasn't too pleased about it

 

[Mathematician]

I know this isn't related to the Winter Olympics, but I found a sport that took a slightly different approach to AIN teams than having them be under the same catchall acronym.

I was watching the World Aquatics Youth Artistic Swimming Championships (i.e. synchronized swimming) on YouTube this morning when I noticed that there were two neutral athlete teams participating. They were known as NAA (Neutral Athletes A, aka Belarus) and NAB (Neutral Athletes B, aka Russia). Separating the neutral athlete designation into an A team and a B team (literally, not figuratively) seems like a slightly better solution to me than having two neutral teams sharing the same acronym, and I would be pleased if it were implemented at the Winter Olympics.

Should I repost this in the Skate to Milano thread or not?

That uproots the whole point of representing yourself though and having no ties to a collective AKA a banned country

The A/B team designation you present is just for scoring since the teams are the distinct entity, not the the athletes. The athletes as isolated entities don't exist in that sense. In skating they do. So if you have Russian and Belarusian singles isolated by their home country it would form multiple distinct entities under a single banner which unites them only to their country of origin, while in the team sport they aren't designated to their home country but just their team mates whom they train with.

 

[4everchan]

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/skiers-snowboarders-russian-belarus-barred-2026-olympic-qualifiers-9.6947310

Big news : FIS has decided not to allow neutral athletes.

In alpine skiing, not really a big deal as Russians are not exactly a powerhouse but in cross country and snowboarding, it's another story.

This will reduce drastically the number of neutral athletes at the games.

 

[lariko]

ISU is going to look so stupid when they will be the only major sport governing body that allowed AIN to the games. Nobody is going to care that they invented their 'prove you're not a camel' review process that eliminated pairs and dance. All they are going to say ISU let AIN participate.

 

[4everchan]

ISU is going to look so stupid when they will be the only major sport governing body that allowed AIN to the games. Nobody is going to care that they invented their 'prove you're not a camel' review process that eliminated pairs and dance. All they are going to say ISU let AIN participate.

maybe but AIN participated already in Paris games.
32 Athletes in total.
5 medals won.

Medalists​

Medal​	Name​	Country​	Sport​	Event​	Date​
Gold	Ivan Litvinovich	Belarus	Gymnastics	Men's trampoline	2 August
Silver	Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya	Belarus	Gymnastics	Women's trampoline	2 August
Silver	Yauheni Zalaty	Belarus	Rowing	Men's single sculls	3 August
Silver	Mirra Andreeva Diana Shnaider	Russia	Tennis	Women's doubles	4 August
Bronze	Yauheni Tsikhantsou	Belarus	Weightlifting	Men's – 102 kg	10 August

 

[snowflake]

...and Melnikova just won gymnastics worlds, women's all-around. Qualifying for 2026 olympics, right?

2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Results: All-Around & Event Finals Recap - Gymnastics Now

See who took home gold at the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta. Full results from the men’s and women’s all-around and event finals, plus standout performances and medal tables.

gymnastics-now.com

 

[lariko]

...and Melnikova just won gymnastics worlds, women's all-around. Qualifying for 2026 olympics, right?

2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Results: All-Around & Event Finals Recap - Gymnastics Now

See who took home gold at the 2025 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta. Full results from the men’s and women’s all-around and event finals, plus standout performances and medal tables.

gymnastics-now.com

Yes, because winter Olympics includes gymnastics as a special winter discipline. (Sarcasm)

 

[lariko]

maybe but AIN participated already in Paris games.
32 Athletes in total.
5 medals won.

Medalists​

Medal​	Name​	Country​	Sport​	Event​	Date​
Gold	Ivan Litvinovich	Belarus	Gymnastics	Men's trampoline	2 August
Silver	Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya	Belarus	Gymnastics	Women's trampoline	2 August
Silver	Yauheni Zalaty	Belarus	Rowing	Men's single sculls	3 August
Silver	Mirra Andreeva Diana Shnaider	Russia	Tennis	Women's doubles	4 August
Bronze	Yauheni Tsikhantsou	Belarus	Weightlifting	Men's – 102 kg	10 August

It would be far more visible in Winter Olympics and will just brew another scandal around figure skating with all the controversies rehashed, and all the BS involved into it exposed.

 

[4everchan]

It would be far more visible in Winter Olympics and will just brew another scandal around figure skating with all the controversies rehashed, and all the BS involved into it exposed.

I don't disagree that I would have kept AIN out of figure skating considering of not just the previous scandal, but the oh so many scandals that happened almost every single time figure skating is presented at the games. A time-out would have been good for once.

 

[snowflake]

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/skiers-snowboarders-russian-belarus-barred-2026-olympic-qualifiers-9.6947310

Big news : FIS has decided not to allow neutral athletes.

In alpine skiing, not really a big deal as Russians are not exactly a powerhouse but in cross country and snowboarding, it's another story.

This will reduce drastically the number of neutral athletes at the games.

Russia is going to appeal. Like they did of the bob/skeleton ban.
Seems like that's not a done deal.

I don’t even understand how they or skiers can qualify. While there’s little time with just a few World Cup events left. Getting the required FIS points.

FIS(fédérationale internationale de ski) has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In spite of athletes and federations agreeing that having them participating would be good for the sport. So if Putin’s pal Veronika Stepanova(cross country skier) or anyone claims ’they are just afraid of competing with us’

 

[snowflake]

Yes, because winter Olympics includes gymnastics as a special winter discipline. (Sarcasm)

It would be far more visible in Winter Olympics and will just brew another scandal around figure skating with all the controversies rehashed, and all the BS involved into it exposed.

Maybe, but people who are interested in summer sports and watched olympics in Paris will know about 'Athléte Individuel Neutre' already. I can't see a scandal around four nice looking great figure skaters But of course media is media and figure skating is figure skating haha so I can see your point.

I don't remember; was there controversies around medals in gymnastics or tennis in Tokyo?

 

[lariko]

I think only 3 skaters qualified, rather than 4. If news reels don't change by February, and if every other sport holds fast, the best thing ISU can do is to find one of many conditions in their ruleset and reverse qualification since they can withdraw approval at any time as per clauses.