Russia Sends Just 13 Athletes to the Milan–Cortina Olympics as Neutral Competitors

On February 6, the Winter Olympic Games will begin in the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Following an unfavorable trend of recent years, Russia will have very limited representation at the main four-year sporting event. Only 13 athletes will compete across six sports, all under neutral status, without a national flag or anthem.

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Olympic rings

Figure Skating Without Teams or Pairs

Organizers did not allow Russian athletes to compete in pairs skating or ice dancing at the Games in Italy. Team events were banned from the outset, leaving singles skaters Adelia Petrosyan and Pyotr Gumenik to represent the country alone in figure skating.

Among all Russian participants, Petrosyan appears to have the most realistic chance to fight for a medal. The skater trains under the legendary coach Eteri Tutberidze, and bookmakers currently place her fourth among the main contenders for gold. Ahead of her stand Japan's Kaori Sakamoto and Americans Alysa Liu and Amber Glenn.

The odds for victory among these four skaters range from 2.20 to 3.80, while Japan's Ami Nakai, who closes the top five, trails far behind with odds of 8.50. This narrow spread means Petrosyan and her closest rivals all face the same risk: either winning gold or finishing just off the podium with a so-called wooden medal.

Russian fans remain concerned by one key factor. During the current season, Petrosyan has not landed a single quadruple jump. Competing for Olympic gold in Italy without clean quad execution will almost certainly prove impossible.

In men's singles skating, experts have already placed the gold medal around the neck of American skater of Russian origin Ilia Malinin. The two-time reigning world champion delivers programs of extraordinary technical difficulty and stands as the clear favorite. The remaining two podium places, however, remain open, and Gumenik, though not without reservations, belongs among the contenders.

Cross-Country Skiing After the CAS Decision

In December, the Court of Arbitration for Sport unexpectedly upheld Russia's appeal against the decision of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to suspend Russian athletes. This ruling forced the federation to begin a limited readmission process.

The federation delayed and complicated the procedure as much as possible, introducing additional filters and excluding leading athletes. As a result, only two Russians qualified in cross-country skiing: Saveliy Korostelev and Darya Nepryaeva.

Major stars of the national team, including Aleksandr Bolshunov, will not compete at the 2026 Games.

Korostelev, 22, and Nepryaeva, 23, were too young when the international ban took effect and made their World Cup debuts only recently. Both qualified for the Olympics in four disciplines: skiathlon, sprint, individual time trial, and marathon. Despite this success, competing for medals will remain extremely difficult.

Ski Mountaineering Brings Unexpected Hope

Ski mountaineering will debut on the Olympic program in Italy. The discipline combines uphill skiing, a running section with skis carried on the shoulders, and a descent along an unprepared course. In this sport, Russia secured its first Olympic qualification back in the summer through Nikita Filippov.

Until recently, observers did not view Filippov as a medal contender. However, at two World Cup stages held in France and Spain in the second half of January, the Russian athlete delivered a breakthrough performance.

Filippov won bronze twice in the sprint event, which forms part of the Olympic program. On both occasions, he finished behind the same rivals: season leaders Oriol Cardona Coll of Spain and Thibault Anselmet of France.

Just one year earlier, Filippov placed 25th in the sprint at the World Championships and failed to reach the podium at World Cup events. His rapid progress now gives Russian fans genuine reason for optimism. In ski mountaineering, his medal chances appear truly realistic.

Other Russian Participants

The Russian team in Italy will also include speed skaters Ksenia Korzhova and Anastasia Semenova, short track skaters Alena Krylova and Ivan Posashkov, lugers Pavel Repilov and Darya Olesik, and alpine skiers Semyon Efimov and Yulia Pleshkova.

Pleshkova stands as the only athlete on the team with previous Olympic experience. At the 2022 Games in Beijing, her best result came with tenth place in the combined event, while her performances in other disciplines proved more modest.