By PAVEL BEDNYAKOV and JAMES ELLINGWORTH
TERSKOL, Russia (AP) — Each time Nikita Filippov races, it’s an uphill wrestle. On the Olympics, much more so.
The 23-year-old from Russia’s far japanese Kamchatka peninsula is a medal contender within the rugged new Olympic sport of ski mountaineering — sprinting up a slope after which snowboarding again down.
On the Milan Cortina Olympics, he’ll be one of many few Russians competing as “Particular person Impartial Athletes.” Which means they formally aren’t representing their nation. They can’t put on any Russian symbols and gained’t hear the Russian nationwide anthem in the event that they win a gold medal.
“It provides me extra aggressive zeal within the race as a result of I wish to show to everybody that we’re robust, even with out the flag or anthem and might beat anybody,” Filippov informed The Related Press at a coaching camp within the Caucasus mountains. “I believe everybody is aware of the place we’re from and possibly it even attracts extra consideration.”
Many sports activities barred Russian athletes from competing as a part of the diplomatic fallout after Russian troops moved into Ukraine 4 days after the final Winter Olympics in 2022. Forward of the 2024 Summer time Olympics in Paris, the Worldwide Olympic Committee step by step opened up paths for athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus to qualify with impartial standing.
Fifteen Russians competed as impartial athletes in Paris, successful their solely medal in tennis.
The quantity could possibly be even decrease in Milan Cortina. Like in Paris, they gained’t have the ability to parade as a delegation within the opening ceremony.
Filippov, the primary Russian “impartial” athlete to qualify a spot for Milan Cortina, mentioned that didn’t trouble him.
“I’ll get extra relaxation and have extra power within the race than different athletes,” he mentioned.
No Ovechkin
What number of Russians will be part of Filippov on the the video games stays unclear. In December, Russian Sports activities Minister Mikhail Degtyarev informed broadcaster Match TV that he anticipated a most of 15 or 20 athletes may qualify, however solely three Russians and one Belarusian have up to now acquired and accepted invites.
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Russian ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov poses throughout an interview with The Related Press at Mount Elbrus foothills in Terskol village, the Kabardino-Balkariian Republic, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Picture/Pavel Bednyakov)
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Russian ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov poses throughout an interview with The Related Press at Mount Elbrus foothills in Terskol village, the Kabardino-Balkariian Republic, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025. (AP Picture/Pavel Bednyakov)
The IOC and its new president Kirsty Coventry, favor permitting Russians to compete as neutrals in most occasions, although not crew sports activities like hockey, that means Alexander Ovechkin and different Russian NHL stars gained’t play in Milan.
Determine skaters Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik could possibly be medal contenders and qualified in September. A handful of Russians are more likely to compete in different sports activities, relying on qualification rankings and IOC approval.
Cross-country skiers Savelii Korostelev and Dariya Nepryaeva produced top-10 finishes within the Tour de Ski collection over the vacations, shortly after they returned to worldwide competitors for the primary time since 2022.
Athletes are ineligible for impartial standing from the IOC if they’re below contract with Russian or Belarusian safety companies or the army, or if they’ve expressed help for Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Ukrainian officers have disputed whether or not a few of these Russians competing in Olympic qualifiers really meet the impartial restrictions.
Most winter sports activities our bodies have allowed Russians to compete in such qualifiers in current weeks, amid a collection of authorized defeats for insurance policies banning Russian athletes.
Some have confronted further obstacles. No Russians competed eventually week’s luge World Cup in neighboring Latvia after the nation’s overseas minister banned 14 Russian athletes from coming into the nation. Two Russian ski jumpers have missed a collection of World Cup occasions throughout Europe due to visa points.
The shadow of Sochi
Russian athletes haven’t competed below their nation’s flag at a Winter Olympics since 2014, when Russia hosted a doping-tainted Video games in Sochi.
Over years of authorized battles, fallout from these drug instances meant Russians needed to compete in Pyeongchang in 2018 as “Olympic Athletes from Russia” and in Beijing in 2022 because the Russian Olympic Committee, each instances with out the nationwide anthem.
The World Anti-Doping Company nonetheless lists Russia’s nationwide testing physique as “non-compliant” and says it may well’t go to Russia for in-person checks on its efficiency.
Russia denied the state was complicit in doping.
4 days after the Beijing closing ceremony, Moscow launched what it known as a “particular army operation” in Ukraine and a brand new wave of bans and sanctions from sports activities our bodies adopted.
There may be continued scrutiny of Russian athletes’ welfare after a doping scandal in determine skating overshadowed the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
Petrosian, the determine skater, is coached by Eteri Tutberidze, who coached Kamila Valieva, the then-15-year-old star skater whose authorized battles over a optimistic drug check led to a ban.
Valieva’s entourage was criticized by then-IOC president Thomas Bach on the 2022 Olympics for “great coldness” within the skater’s therapy, with out mentioning Tutberidze by identify.
Petrosian is the most recent in a series of young Tutberidze-trained skaters with spectacular, high-scoring, high-risk jumps. She’s one of many few feminine skaters in historical past to land a quadruple soar in competitors, however her restricted worldwide expertise as a impartial means she’s but to try this exterior of Russia.
Ellingworth reported from Duesseldorf, Germany. Vladimir Kondrashov in Terskol, Brian Melley in London and Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
