The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan officially began on 6 February, featuring athletes from 92 nations. However, Russia and Belarus are notably absent after being suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2023 for violating the Olympic Charter.
The ban stems from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus supported. In March 2022, the IOC recommended banning athletes from both countries. The formal suspension came in October 2023 after the Russian Olympic Committee incorporated sporting organisations in occupied Ukrainian regions, breaching the Olympic Charter.
Despite the ban, some individual athletes from Russia and Belarus can compete as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), a status introduced at the 2024 Paris Olympics and continued for Milan-Cortina 2026. These athletes compete under a teal flag with an 'AIN' emblem, use an instrumental anthem, and cannot participate in team events or the opening ceremony.
To be eligible, athletes must be approved by their sport's governing body and an IOC panel, with no links to the Russian military or support for the war. For Milan-Cortina, 13 Russian and seven Belarusian athletes have accepted invitations. Notably, Russian skater Kamila Valieva, who served a doping ban, did not qualify.
