ISU clears another 13 Russian figure skaters to compete as neutrals internationally

Lead

The International Skating Union (ISU) has continued to grant neutral status to Russian figure skaters, clearing additional athletes to compete in international tournaments under the organization's supervision starting with the 2026-27 season. As of early August, the ISU's website showed that Russia had 23 skaters approved as neutrals, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting from TASS, the sole outlet whose coverage was reviewed for this article, documented several waves of approvals. On July 16, the ISU cleared eight Russian figure skaters — including singles skaters Adelia Petrosyan, Alisa Dvoeglazova, Anna Frolova, Alina Gorbacheva, Margarita Bazylyuk, and Grigory Fyodorov, as well as pair skaters Viktoria Dvinina and Artyom Petrov — designating them as AIN2, or athletes affiliated with Russia who compete under a neutral status.

A subsequent TASS report dated July 22 said the ISU had granted neutral status to another 13 Russian figure skaters: Sofia Dzepka, Arseny Fedotov, Maria Fefelova, Egor Karnauhov, Elena Kostyleva, Lev Lazarev, Polina Sazhina, Polina Shesheleva, Ivan Telnov, Artyom Valov, Darya Drozhzhina, Alexey Belkin, and Victoria Streltsova. That report said Russia had 21 skaters cleared as neutrals at that time.

By August 3, TASS reported that the ISU had added pair skaters Taisiya Guseva and Daniil Ovchinnikov to the list, bringing the total to 23. Then, on August 7, TASS reported that the ISU had granted neutral status to Kamila Valieva and Alexandra Ignatova, along with a list of other skaters including Petr Gumennik, Vladislav Dikidzhi, Maria Zakharova, Dina Khusnutdinova, Alexandra Boikova and Dmitry Kozlovsky, Varvara Slutskaya and Gleb Goncharov, Anna Shcherbakova and Yegor Goncharov, Yelizaveta Pasechnik and Dario Chirizano, Irina Khavronina and David Naryzhny, Anastasia Mukhortova and Dmitry Yevgenyev, Anna Kolomenskaya and Artyom Frolov, Yekaterina Chikmareva and Matvey Yanchenkov. That report did not provide an updated total count.

The reports reflect a progressive expansion of neutral statuses, with TASS's July 22 count of 21 and its August 3 count of 23 differing due to the incremental additions.

Key Claims

• The ISU has allowed Russian athletes to participate in international competitions under a neutral status starting with the 2026-27 season, as reported by TASS.
• The ISU granted neutral status to Kamila Valieva and Alexandra Ignatova, according to the ISU's press service, as reported by TASS.
• Valieva, 20, previously completed a four-year suspension for anti-doping rule violations and was allowed to officially start training on October 25, 2025, per TASS.
• Ignatova, 22, is a 2022 Olympic Games silver medalist, a bronze medalist of the 2021 World Championships, and a silver and bronze medalist of the European Championships, as reported by TASS.
• The ISU granted neutral status to Taisiya Guseva and Daniil Ovchinnikov, who won bronze medals at Russia's championship in 2026, according to TASS.
• Russia had 23 skaters cleared for international competitions as neutrals as of August 3, per TASS.
• The ISU suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes from international tournaments in March 2022 due to developments in Ukraine, as reported by TASS.
• At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the ISU allowed six Russian athletes to participate under neutral status: figure skaters Adelia Petrosyan and Petr Gumennik, speed skaters Ksenia Korzhova and Anastasia Semyonova, and short track speed skaters Alyona Krylova and Ivan Posashkov, according to TASS.