Russian skiers get last chance to earn Olympic quota in Davos as FIS bows to CAS ruling

Two Russian cross‑country skiers, Savely Korostelev and Darja Nepryayeva, will compete at this weekend’s World Cup in Davos, Switzerland — the first Russian athletes to start a World Cup cross‑country race since March 2022.

Russian and Belarusian athletes were widely excluded from international sport after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. In October, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced a full ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympics. Last week, however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that athletes from those countries must be allowed to participate in the Winter Games under neutral status, similar to the policy used at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Team sports remain closed to Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Korostelev and Nepryayeva, both junior world champions in 2022, have met the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) criteria for neutral athletes, enabling them to enter Olympic qualifying events such as the World Cup.

On Thursday, FIS also approved more neutral‑status entrants from Belarus, including cross‑country skiers Hanna Matsakhina and Hanna Karalyova, as well as service‑team members Aleh Bikauskih and Ilya Ramanenka.

FIS had decided on 21 October not to readmit Russian and Belarusian athletes to its international competitions. Participation in the Olympics, World Cup or other international events is ultimately governed by the sport federations rather than the IOC. Speaking in Davos, FIS communications chief Bruno Sassi told Yle that FIS is bound by CAS decisions: “As soon as they render a decision, our task is to implement it. We have done so as of 2 December.” He rejected the notion that CAS’s ruling was an embarrassment for FIS, calling the situation complex and extending beyond sport.

Quota race in Davos

Powerhouse nations face tight internal battles for Olympic spots — for example, Finland expects seven men’s quota places. The Olympic quota per nation is capped at eight per gender, with roughly ten total places still available. Davos has attracted athletes from less traditional skiing nations seeking to improve their FIS points.

Under IOC criteria, neutral athletes are eligible to qualify for the Olympics. According to Sassi, Davos represents the final chance for neutral Russians and Belarusians to secure one men’s and one women’s national quota place for Milano–Cortina 2026.