Cross-country skiing: qualification in extremis for three Russian and Belarusian cross-country skiers
The clock was ticking. Athletes who had not qualified for the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina (6-22 February) had until 14 December to achieve the minimum standards for the Italian competition. This meantfinishing a World Cup race with fewer than 300 FIS points. The opportunity was seized by cross-country skiers from smaller nations, be they Moroccan, Lebanese or Thai.
But also by the Russians Saveliy Korostolev and Dariya Nepryaeva, and the Belarussian Hanna Machakhina. All three lined up on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 December in Davos (Switzerland) andeasily achieved the expected performance : between 35 and 73 points for the Russians, 130 for the Belarussian. They therefore met the criteria required to qualify for the Games. They even have guaranteed quotas, as none of their compatriots qualified in any other way.
Authorised to participate three days before
Yet two weeks earlier, it would have been difficult to imagine such an outcome. The athletes from these two countries had not been on the international circuit for three and a half years, and had been banned in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (aided by Belarus). As a result, they were unable to take part in the 2024-2025 World Cup , the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim (Norway) in February-March or the U23 cross-country skiing championships in Schilpario (Italy) in February. However, the vast majority of nations have obtained their quotas on these occasions. Nor is participation in the inaugural three rounds of the 2025-2026 World Cup, open to unqualified cross-country skiers, an option. The FIS reiterated this in October, not allowing athletes under neutral banners to take part either.
Things came to a head on December 2 when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned this decision after a hearing behind closed doors. The court ruled that athletes “who meet the criteria” of a neutral athlete “should be allowed to participate in the qualifying events” for the 2026 Olympics. All that remained for the Russian and Belarusian athletes was to apply for neutral athlete status. To do so, they had to meet the FIS and IOC criteria: have no links with the army since the start of the conflict, have not publicly supported it, undertake to respect the Olympic Charter and accept the neutrality implied by the status. The Russian cross-country skiing federation (FLGR) then proposed the names to the FIS, which accepted them on December 10. The same decision was taken the following day for Hanna Mahakhina. From then on, it was a race against time, as the races were scheduled for three days later.
Alignable in three to four formats
In just one week, our lives were turned upside down,” Dariya Nepryaeva tells MatchTV. We travelled for two days and so much happened…”. Despite having just one member of staff to accompany them, the team managed to pull off the trick. The Russian finished 38th in the sprint and 20th in the individual, her compatriot Saveliy Korostolev 52nd and 25th. Hanna Machakhina of Belarus was 66th in the individual event, the only format in which she was entered. These performances should be put into perspective: all three were making their World Cup debuts, with fluorine-free wax that was still rare in Russia and on unfamiliar snow.
These quotas opened the doors to the Tesero Olympic venue. Seveliy Korostolev qualified for the sprint, skiathlon, individual and mass start events. “I’m overwhelmed with emotion. I’m so happy that we’re going to the Olympic Games. They are the ultimate goal for an athlete”, said her compatriot, who qualified for the same distances. Hanna Machakhina achieved the minimum standards for the skiathlon, the individual and the mass start.
“The IOC will decide
But will these three athletes still be guaranteed a place at the Olympics? It’s too early,” Sergei Kryanin, a member of the FLGR Presidium, told MatchTV. The IOC will be carrying out an inspection. We can’t say anything except that our athletes have met the performance requirements. The IOC will decide: will it allocate these quotas? Will they be nominative? Will it grant others? Until we receive an Olympic invitation, we can only speculate…”.
The quotas will be announced on 19 January. The only thing that is certain is that the cross-country skiers will not be able to claim to belong to Russia at the competition venues. Their outfits must not be limited to the colours of their flags, and in the event of a surprise podium finish, the Olympic flag will be raised (and the Olympic anthem played in the event of a gold medal). In anticipation of this date, Saveliy Korostolev has already announced his intention to take part in the Tour de Ski, in Toblach and Val di Fiemme (Italy, 28 December-4 January). To put the athlete back at the centre of the stakes.
- Who is Saveliy Korostelev, the Russian cross-country skier who could compete in the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games?
- Following the CAS decision, the FIS will allow Russians and Belarusians to take part in international competitions on the road to the 2026 Olympics… subject to certain conditions
- For the other Russian cross-country skiers, another winter on a closed circuit, without a World Cup
