Russian athletes seek neutral status for international competition

Russian athletes are seeking to participate in international sporting events under neutral status, though their ability to compete in Poland remains uncertain.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) has expanded its list of Russian and Belarusian athletes and staff permitted to compete as neutral athletes (AIN). Among them is ski jumper Evgeniy Klimov, who previously drew controversy for displaying symbols supporting the invasion of Ukraine. Klimov expressed hope to compete in the World Cup, including in Poland, despite fears that Polish authorities might deny him entry.

In a separate development, reports from the Russian federation suggested that Russian karateka might participate in the World Karate Championships in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, under the World Karate Federation (WKF) flag. However, Paweł Połtorzecki, president of the Polish Karate Union and organizer of the event, disputed these claims. Połtorzecki stated that while Belarusian athletes were registered under the WKF flag, Russian athletes were not included in the registration lists by the deadline.