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Winter Olympics Welcomes Neutral Athletes Amid Controversy

2/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will permit Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) to attend the closing ceremony, although they will not participate in the opening.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus can compete as neutrals due to their exclusion from competing under their flags following the Ukraine invasion, with only one AIN, Nikita Filippov, having won a medal.
At the upcoming Winter Paralympics, ten athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete under their flags for the first time since 2014, drawing criticism from Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who condemned the decision as harmful amid the ongoing invasion.

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Story summary

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will permit Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) to attend the closing ceremony, although they will not participate in the opening.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus can compete as neutrals due to their exclusion from competing under their flags following the Ukraine invasion, with only one AIN, Nikita Filippov, having won a medal.
At the upcoming Winter Paralympics, ten athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete under their flags for the first time since 2014, drawing criticism from Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who condemned the decision as harmful amid the ongoing invasion.