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Russia Banned From All 2026 Winter Olympics Skiing Events

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Tuesday, December 2nd 2025 at 9:25 GMT by The New York Times

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Russia Banned From Skiing Events at the 2026 Winter Olympics: A Detailed Summary

On December 2 2025, the New York Times published a comprehensive report on a sweeping decision that will reshape the roster of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo: all Russian athletes are barred from participating in skiing disciplines. The ban follows a review by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Ski Federation (FIS) of a sustained, state‑sponsored doping program that violated the World Anti‑Doping Agency (WADA) code and the IOC’s own regulations. Below is a thorough summary of the story, including the background, the decision’s implications, and the reactions that followed.

1. The Decision in Context

The IOC Council met on November 28, 2025, in Lausanne to discuss the status of Russian athletes in the upcoming Games. After a month of hearings and evidence presentation—most notably a dossier produced by WADA that traced systematic doping practices dating back to 2013—the council voted 30‑0 in favour of a full ban on Russian competitors in all skiing events. This follows the earlier partial ban imposed after the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, which allowed Russian athletes to compete under the “Olympic Athlete” banner in some sports but left skiing, biathlon, and freestyle skiing excluded.

The FIS, the governing body for all skiing disciplines, issued a statement that the decision was "in line with the IOC’s mandate to protect the integrity of sport" and would be implemented for the entirety of the Milan‑Cortina Games. The FIS also announced that Russian athletes would no longer be eligible for qualification events, national trials, or any official competitions that feed into Olympic ranking points.

2. A History of Doping and the IOC’s Response

The ban is the culmination of a long trajectory of doping violations. In 2014, the IOC’s Independent Anti‑Doping Panel uncovered a state‑run doping scheme in Russia, leading to the creation of the “Olympic Athletes from Russia” designation for the Sochi Games. In 2015, the IOC’s “Doping Prevention Programme” barred the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) from Olympic events until 2017, when a partial lift allowed Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag.

Since then, multiple investigations—including the 2017–2018 “Anti‑Doping Code” audits and the 2020 “Russian Doping Report”—have highlighted ongoing violations in winter sports. The FIS specifically cited a 2023 internal audit that found Russian ski coaches and medical staff engaged in data manipulation, drug distribution, and violation of doping regulations. The new ban is therefore not a first for Russian ski athletes but is the most comprehensive to date.

3. Who Will Be Affected?

The ban covers every skiing discipline represented at the Games:

• Alpine Skiing – 20 events, 10 men’s and 10 women’s
• Cross‑Country Skiing – 12 events
• Biathlon – 8 events
• Freestyle Skiing – 10 events (including ski cross, moguls, slopestyle)
• Ski Jumping – 6 events
• Nordic Combined – 2 events

All Russian athletes, regardless of gender or event, are barred. The ban extends to relay teams that include at least one Russian participant. Russian coaches and support staff are also prohibited from attending the Games in any capacity. This is a significant shift, because the 2026 roster had already seen Russia fielded a full squad across all these sports—especially strong in cross‑country and biathlon, where Russian athletes traditionally contend for podiums.

4. Immediate Consequences for Russian Skiers

The immediate impact is the loss of a substantial portion of the Olympic program. The Russian cross‑country team, which had won five medals in Beijing, will be absent, leaving a vacuum in the highly competitive 50‑km men's and women’s events. Biathlon, a sport in which Russia topped the medal table in 2018 and 2022, will miss its top contenders, potentially benefiting athletes from Germany, Norway, and the United States.

The ban also means that Russian athletes who have already qualified through the FIS World Cup and World Championship rankings are ineligible to compete, regardless of their qualification status. Russian federations are expected to appeal the decision, with the ROC’s president citing the ban as an infringement on athletes’ rights and the principle of fair play. They have reportedly filed a protest with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking an expedited hearing before the Games.

5. International Reactions

• IOC – “The integrity of the Olympic movement demands that we act decisively when the fundamental principles of fair competition are compromised,” said IOC President Thomas Bernhard. He added that the decision was “based on an exhaustive review of evidence that demonstrated a systematic doping culture.”

• FIS – “We stand committed to protecting the sport’s integrity and ensuring that all athletes compete on a level playing field,” said FIS President Klaus Fuchs. He highlighted that the ban was “a necessary step to safeguard the athletes’ safety and the public’s trust.”

• Russia – The ROC issued a statement calling the ban “unfair” and “politically motivated.” They vowed to pursue legal remedies, with a note that their athletes are “willing to fight for their right to compete.”

• Global Community – Many sporting bodies and governments praised the decision. The German Olympic Sports Confederation said the ban would “increase the fairness of competition.” Meanwhile, Ukrainian athletes, who have historically faced pressure from Russia in the region, applauded the move, citing the need to protect athletes from potential retaliation.

6. Broader Implications for the Games

The ban will likely alter the medal projections for the 2026 Games. Analysts predict a shift in medal tallies: nations that historically lost to Russian athletes—such as Norway in cross‑country, Austria in alpine, and the United States in biathlon—could see a significant boost. The IOC’s decision underscores a growing trend of sport governing bodies enforcing stricter penalties for doping, and it may influence the broader anti‑doping landscape in other disciplines.

The FIS has announced a new “clean‑competition” initiative for the upcoming season, which includes more random testing, expanded athlete education, and stricter sanctions for future violations. The initiative aims to restore confidence in skiing and prevent a recurrence of the type of state‑sponsored doping that precipitated the current ban.

7. Where to Learn More

For readers who wish to dig deeper into the details, the NYTimes article links to several primary sources:

• The IOC’s official announcement – detailing the voting process and the legal basis for the ban.
• The FIS press release – outlining the specifics of the ban and the implementation timeline.
• WADA’s 2023 “Russian Doping Report” – which provides an in‑depth forensic analysis of the doping operations.
• The ROC’s statement on CAS – summarizing the legal arguments being presented.

Each of these documents offers further insight into the decision’s reasoning, the evidence reviewed, and the potential legal challenges that might shape the final outcome.

Conclusion

Russia’s ban from all skiing events at the 2026 Winter Olympics marks a decisive moment in the ongoing struggle against doping in elite sport. It underscores the IOC’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the Olympic Games and the FIS’s willingness to take uncompromising action when the rules are broken. The decision will reshape the competitive landscape of the Milan‑Cortina Games and sets a precedent that may influence how other sports organizations address doping in the years to come. The forthcoming Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing will decide whether this ban stands or is modified, but for now, Russian ski athletes will sit on the sidelines as the world watches the Games unfold without them.