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20 Athletes Compete as Neutral at Milan Cortina Olympics

2/18/2026

Summary

Story summary

At the Milan Cortina Olympics, 20 athletes compete as "AIN"—Individual Neutral Athletes.
The designation lets Russian and Belarusian athletes compete independently after the IOC banned them for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Thirteen Russian athletes and seven Belarusians participate as AINs, but not all sports federations permit neutral qualifications.
AIN athletes cannot compete in team sports, limiting participation in events such as figure skating and hockey.

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Story summary

At the Milan Cortina Olympics, 20 athletes compete as "AIN"—Individual Neutral Athletes.
The designation lets Russian and Belarusian athletes compete independently after the IOC banned them for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Thirteen Russian athletes and seven Belarusians participate as AINs, but not all sports federations permit neutral qualifications.
AIN athletes cannot compete in team sports, limiting participation in events such as figure skating and hockey.