AIN at the 2026 Olympics: why Russia and Belarus aren’t competing as countries

With the 2026 Winter Olympics underway in Italy, many viewers are seeing an unfamiliar label on scoreboards and start lists: AIN. It’s not a country, and it’s not a new team. It’s the Olympic designation for a limited group of approved athletes who hold Russian or Belarusian passports but are competing without national representation at Milano Cortina 2026.

As of Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026 (ET), Russia and Belarus are not participating as national teams at these Winter Games. Some individual athletes are allowed to compete as AIN, under strict eligibility rules and with major restrictions that keep them separate from national symbols and team events.

What country is AIN?

AIN is not a country. It is the Olympic code for Individual Neutral Athletes, a neutral designation used for eligible athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports.

AIN comes from the French wording used in Olympic administration (“athlètes individuels neutres”). On broadcasts and results pages, AIN appears where a country code normally would, but it represents neutral status, not a nation.

Is Russia in the Olympics 2026?

Russia is not in the 2026 Winter Olympics as “Russia,” and there is no Russian team competing under a national flag. The same applies to Belarus. National symbols—flag, anthem, official country name on the field of play—are not used for these athletes.

A small number of athletes from Russia and Belarus can participate as AIN, but only in individual events and only if they pass eligibility checks. As of Feb. 7 (ET), the approved group is roughly around 20 athletes total across multiple sports, and the number can change as reviews and qualification processes conclude.

What does AIN mean in the Olympics?

AIN athletes compete with a set of restrictions designed to keep participation individual and politically neutral. The practical impact is visible in several ways:

• No national flag, anthem, or official country branding at venues or medal ceremonies

• No parade as a national delegation in the Opening Ceremony

• Participation limited to individual athletes, not teams

• Extra eligibility screening beyond standard Olympic qualification

The main point: AIN is a pathway for select athletes to compete while Russia and Belarus remain excluded as national delegations.

Why is Russia banned from the Olympics, and why is Belarus banned too?

The current restrictions are tied to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and Belarus’ role in supporting Russia, alongside broader governance and integrity issues that have affected Russia’s Olympic status in recent years.

For Milano Cortina 2026, the Olympic movement’s position has been that letting Russia and Belarus compete as countries would conflict with the principles and security realities surrounding the war. At the same time, the system leaves a narrow door open for athletes who can demonstrate they meet the neutrality and integrity standards required for AIN status.

Belarus is treated alongside Russia because of its alignment with and support for Russia in the conflict and the resulting sanctions in international sport.

What are the AIN eligibility rules?

The details vary by sport, but the core requirements at Milano Cortina 2026 follow a consistent structure. In general, AIN eligibility requires that athletes:

• Have not publicly supported the war in Ukraine

• Are not contracted by the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies

• Meet all anti-doping requirements and sport-specific qualification standards

• Accept neutral participation rules (no national symbols, limited delegation presence)

If a detail about an athlete’s eligibility is unclear, the athlete may be excluded or left uninvited—so the process tends to be conservative and documentation-heavy.

Olympic hockey: is Russia in the Winter Olympics?

For Olympic hockey, the answer is simple: Russia is not in the 2026 Olympic hockey tournaments, and neither is Belarus.

The men’s and women’s Olympic hockey events are team competitions, and the neutral framework does not provide a route for Russia or Belarus to enter as teams. Separately, international hockey authorities have maintained restrictions that keep Russia and Belarus out of major sanctioned competitions and related pathways during the 2025–26 season, reinforcing their absence from Olympic hockey at Milano Cortina.

For fans, the practical outcome is that the Olympic hockey brackets proceed without Russia—a significant change given Russia’s historical presence and medal relevance in the sport.

Sources consulted: International Olympic Committee; International Ice Hockey Federation; Time; Reuters