Home Editorial Russian doping and war watch: The sports that have banned Russia again

Russian doping and war watch: The sports that have banned Russia again

October 22, 2025

On March 27, 2025, World Athletics extended the Russian (Russian Athletics Federation “RusAthletics”) 2022 ban for their illegal attack on Ukraine. The 2022 ban and extension follow the ban since 2015, which started due to systematic doping and a myriad of malfeasances and manipulations since then.

Keeping an eye on the Russian situation, the war does not appear to be ending any time soon, and other governing bodies are continuing to ban the world’s largest country. For example, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) have denied the Russians for Milano Cortina 2026 — The next Winter Olympic Games. The games begin in less than 100 days.

The governing body announced on Tuesday from its head office in Oberhofen, Switzerland, that athletes holding Russian or Belarusian passports will not be permitted to compete. Regardless, if they join the AIN roster, in any FIS-sanctioned qualifying events for the upcoming Olympics.

The announcement, released following the FIS Council’s meeting, clarifies that while the International Olympic Committee established the neutral athletes’ framework as a potential gateway to the Games, it remains the prerogative of each international federation to determine whether those athletes are allowed to participate in their qualification systems. FIS has chosen, for now, to close that door.

The International Olympic Committee lifted ban

In September, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Russia would be allowed to participate at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games under a neutral flag.

The decision by the IOC after meeting in Milan was expected and maintains the same sanctions as the Summer Games in Paris last year.

The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee in October 2023 after sanctions were imposed due to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, saying the illegal incursion violated the Olympic Charter.

“We also spoke about the Independent Neutral Athletes (AINs). This will be nothing new,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said at a press conference, according to Reuters. “The Executive board will take the same approach that was done in Paris (2024 Olympics). Nothing has changed.”

Clearly, individual sports’ governing bodies may disagree just as the FIS has. It will be worth watching to see what other organizations cancel Russia.