*This content was translated by AI.
Russian athletes will not be able to participate in the opening ceremony parade of the 2026 Milan and Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Olympics next month. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not allow Russian athletes to march.
Russian media TASS quoted an IOC statement on the 25th (Korea time) and said, "Athletes from Russia will not be allowed to participate in the Olympic opening ceremony squad parade in Italy on the 6th of next month."
"Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs) are not allowed to participate in the march of athletes from each country," the IOC told the Tas news agency in a statement.
This does not mean that Russian players cannot participate in the opening ceremony at all. The IOC said, "It does not prevent Russian athletes from participating in the opening ceremony itself. However, we will allow participation in the opening ceremony events held in Milan and mountain cluster stadium areas.
The Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo will be held from February 6 to 22. The venue of the opening ceremony is San Siro Olympic Stadium in Milan.
Players of Russian and Belarusian nationalities are under sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine. Currently, he cannot play as a player on behalf of his country. However, as a neutral athlete, he can only participate in individual events such as figure skating, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, and short track skating excluding relay. Adelia Petrosian is the unrivaled ace in figure skating. On the other hand, Russia is not allowed to compete in team events such as ice hockey or bobsleigh.
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) incorporated Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions into the ROC's jurisdiction in 2023 and was suspended by the IOC. Earlier at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, Russian athletes were unable to use their national names and flags due to the invasion of Ukraine.
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*This content was translated by AI.
