Russian Athletes Race Under Neutral Flag at Olympics

Russian athletes are participating in the Milan Cortina Olympics as 'Individual Neutral Athletes,' a designation that bars them from displaying national symbols or hearing their anthem if they win. This comes as a consequence of diplomatic fallout following Russia's troop movement into Ukraine. Many sports initially banned Russian competitors, but the International Olympic Committee has since established pathways for neutral participation.

Athletes must meet stringent eligibility requirements, including not being under contract with Russian security agencies or the military, and not having publicly supported the actions in Ukraine. Despite these measures, some Ukrainian officials question the neutrality of Russian athletes participating in Olympic qualifiers. Furthermore, several Russian competitors have faced additional obstacles such as visa denials and entry bans in European countries.

The participation of Russian athletes in international sports has been a complex issue for years, stemming from doping scandals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. This has led to Russians competing without their national flag since 2014, first as 'Olympic Athletes from Russia' and then as the Russian Olympic Committee. The World Anti-Doping Agency still lists Russia's national testing body as noncompliant, though Russia denies state complicity in doping.