GENEVA, June 30. /TASS/. The International Skating Union (ISU) Council has allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions during the 2026-27 season under neutral status, the press service said in a release.
"By ISU Communication 2469, the ISU Council imposed protective measures under which, until further notice, no skaters and no officials affiliated with the ISU members in Russia (the Russian Skating Union and the Figure Skating Federation of Russia) and Belarus (the Skating Union of Belarus) were invited or permitted to participate in international competitions, including ISU championships and other ISU events, and no international competitions were to be held in Russia or Belarus. Those measures were expressly stated not to be a sanction, disciplinary measure or ineligibility decision, but to have been taken exclusively in the interests of the safety of participants and the integrity of the competitions. <…> With effect from the 2026/2027 season, the protective measure set out in Communication 2469 is partially lifted insofar as it applies to skaters affiliated with the ISU members in Russia and Belarus, so that such skaters may participate in ISU events and international competitions as neutral athletes, without items of state recognition (namely national flags, national kit and national anthems), subject to the conditions in this communication," the document said.
