The acronym AIN stands for Athletes Individuels Neutres, a French phrase that translates to "Individual Neutral Athletes." The delegation “AIN” exclusively belongs to Russian and Belarusian athletes that are participating at the Olympic Games. This category of athletes was introduced at the 2024 Paris Olympics and is also being used at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 32 athletes participated as individual neutral athletes. At the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, there are 20 athletes competing under the designation.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, the countries of Russia and Belarus were banned from the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for violating the Olympic truce.
AIN athletes are not allowed to represent their country or wear their flag, and if they earn a medal, their national anthem will not be played. These athletes also do not participate in the Parade of Nations during the Opening Ceremony.
What does AIN stand for?
AIN stands for Athletes Individuels Neutres — "Individual Neutral Athletes" in English.
How do 'neutral' athletes qualify?
To be eligible as an AIN athlete, competitors must hold a passport from Russia or Belarus. They cannot have expressed support for the war in Ukraine, cannot have any affiliation with the Russian or Belarusian military, and must qualify for their event through standard qualification pathways. They also must compete in individual events, as no team events are allowed for Individual Neutral Athletes.
Certain international federations can prohibit athletes from attempting to qualify. For example, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation does not allow Russian or Belarusian athletes to attempt qualification as neutrals. While the IOC permits Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as AIN, they remain subject to the qualification policies of their respective sport’s international federation.
Will Russian athletes compete in ice hockey and figure skating?
Russian athletes are not allowed to compete in ice hockey because the AIN designation does not permit participation in team sports. The AIN delegation applies only to individual athletes who qualify for the Games and meet the requirements.
There will be Russian figure skaters competing as individual neutrals because figure skating is an individual sport. Adeliya Petrosian and Petr Gumennik, both medal contenders, are Russian athletes participating in figure skating under the AIN designation.
Which Russian athletes will compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
There are 20 AIN athletes competing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Of that group, 13 are Russian and seven are Belarusian.
Russian Athletes at these Games:
- Figure Skating: Adeliya Petrosian, Petr Gumennik
- Cross-Country Skiing: Saveliy Korostelev, Dariya Nepryaeva
- Alpine Skiing: Julia Pleshkova, Simon Efimov
- Speed Skating: Kseniia Korzhova, Anastasiia Semenova
- Luge: Daria Olesik, Pavel Repilov
- Short Track: Ivan Posashkov, Alena Krylova
- Ski Mountaineering: Nikita Filippov
Belarusian Athletes at these Games:
- Alpine Skiing: Maria Shkanova
- Cross-Country Skiing: Hanna Karaliova
- Figure Skating: Viktoriya Safonova
- Freestyle Skiing: Anastasiya Andryianava, Anna Derugo, Hanna Huskova
- Speed Skating: Marina Zueva