VLADIVOSTOK, September 2. /TASS/. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has ruled to clear Russian athletes for the participation in the 2026/2027 season tournaments under a neutral status, Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev stated on Wednesday.
"Our skiers are returning, although under a neutral status," Degtyarev, who is also the president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), told journalists speaking on the sidelines of the 2026 Eastern Economic Forum in Russia’s Vladivostok.
"We hope our athletes will perform successfully and prove that it’s safe. This is the first step, but the same was true for several of our other sports competitions," he added.
FIS press office announced in a statement later in the day that athletes from Belarus had been also cleared of all previously-imposed restrictions.
"Gathered in Thun, Switzerland, for a two-day meeting, the FIS Council decided [on September 1] on the conditions under which athletes of Belarusian and Russian sporting nationality should be allowed to compete at FIS events throughout the 2026/27 season," the statement reads.
"Following recent decisions by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in regard to the subject, the FIS Council reviewed the situation and decided that athletes and support personnel from the two countries may be granted access to FIS competitions provided that they sign a declaration of neutrality based on a set of principles established by FIS," according to the statement.
"Compliance with these neutrality principles will be constantly monitored, with sanctions available in case of breaches," the statement noted.
"The participation of athletes is restricted to individual events and is conditioned to the fact that no country symbols · such as flags, anthems, or uniforms should be displayed. Athletes must also meet all the existing relevant anti-doping requirements," according to the FIS.
In 2022, FIS suspended Russian athletes due to the developments in Ukraine. Last season, a number of Russian athletes were granted the right to compete in FIS-sponsored tournaments under a neutral status.
At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy, the FIS granted a neutral status to ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov, cross-country skiers Savely Korostelyov and Daria Nepryayeva, alpine skiers Semyon Yefimov and Yulia Pleshkova.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a decision in July, 2026 to reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and also recommended lifting restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes in all international tournaments, including both in individual and team competitions.
The 2026 Eastern Economic Forum is underway from September 1-4 in Vladivostok on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University. The main theme of the EEF in 2026 is "The Far East: Development for the Benefit of People." The event is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian government, with TASS serving as the general information partner.