Olympic qualification: Russia’s biathletes file CAS appeal to be allowed to compete

Russia’s biathlon federation (RBU) has filed a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an effort to secure access for Russian and Belarusian biathletes to qualification competitions for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

According to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, an RBU spokesperson confirmed the appeal. Russian and Belarusian biathletes have been excluded from international competitions since 2022, and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) extended that suspension in early 2025.

The appeal comes shortly after a separate, partially successful CAS ruling against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), which requires FIS to permit Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Olympic qualifiers under a neutral status (AIN) provided they meet IOC criteria. Russian officials now want the same pathway opened for biathlon.

Russia’s sports minister Mikhail Degtyarev called the IBU’s stance “outrageous” in Russian media and said the case would also go to CAS. Degtyarev, who also heads the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), added that a delegation will travel to Switzerland in January to press the IOC to reinstate the ROC.

Timing is tight: the Winter Games begin on 6 February 2026. While the IOC continues to block Russia’s return as a nation due to the ongoing war against Ukraine, Olympic participation by Russian athletes as neutrals—similar to the arrangement at Paris 2024—remains possible if individuals qualify and meet eligibility conditions.