International Ski Mountaineering Federation allows Belarusian athletes to qualify for Olympics

The International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) has allowed Belarusian and Russian athletes to participate in international competitions of the 2024/25 season, subject to obtaining neutral status, BELTA reports with reference to TASS.

The ski mountaineering competitions will debut in the Olympic program in 2026 in Italy, where 36 athletes (18 men and women) will compete for medals at the Games. Ski mountaineering is a winter sport in which athletes complete a mountain course for speed. This discipline includes climbing up a mountain on and without skis, as well as descending along a course.

Belarusian and Russian athletes who have expressed a desire to obtain neutral status must write the corresponding application to the International Ski Mountaineering Federation and attach a number of documents to it. In case of successful verification, the athletes will have an opportunity to return to the world arena as neutral individual athletes.

As of today, no other international federation for winter Olympic sports has provided an opportunity for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in international competitions even in neutral status.