AdvertisementTwenty competitors from Belarus and Russia are competing at the Winter Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), with 13 from Russia. Russian athletes were also banned from Rio de Janeiro in 2016 because of Russia’s state-sponsored doping program, but they did compete as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. A Russian Paralympic Committee delegation was allowed to compete at Tokyo 2020 but not under a Russian flag. Belarus has been given four slots, all in cross-country skiing, and they are for one male athlete and three female athletes. The 2026 Winter Paralympics take place in Milan Cortina from March 6-15.

Source: International New York Times February 18, 2026 08:40 UTC