What does AIN stand for at the Winter Olympics 2026?

20 athletes will be competing under the AIN flag...

AIN luge athlete Pavel Repilov, in a white helmet and purple suit, goes down the track at the Winter Olympics with the Olympic rings on the track.

(Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Published: Friday, 6 February 2026 at 1:59 pm

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The Winter Olympics are about coming together to celebrate sporting achievement.

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Some 3,000 athletes, from 92 countries, will compete across 16 disciplines and 116 events at the festival of ice and snow sports.

But while "harmony" is a key theme at Milano Cortina 2026, two countries – Russia and Belarus – will be conspicuous by their absence over the next few weeks.

Neither is allowed to compete due to an ongoing ban handed out by the International Olympic Committee in 2023 due to their actions in the Ukraine war, which were deemed a breach of the Olympic Charter.

There will be Russian and Belarusian athletes competing at the Games, however, and they will do so under the AIN acronym and flag.

Radio Times breaks down what AIN means at the Winter Olympics 2026 and who the athletes impacted are.

What are AINs at the Winter Olympics 2026?

AINs are Individual Neutral Athletes, competitors with Belarusian or Russian passports who are eligible and invited to take part in this year's Winter Olympics.

The acronym, which comes from the French "Athlète Individuel Neutre", is the IOC country code that the eligible athletes will compete under at Milano Cortina 2026.

Russia and Belarus were banned by the IOC in 2023, as their actions in the Ukraine war are a breach of the Olympic Charter.

However, as at the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024, athletes can still compete as AINs as long as they adhere to the IOC's "strict eligibility conditions".

Each athlete and their support staff have been evaluated by the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP), while their participation is "subject to the athletes’ acceptance of the individual invitation and signing of the Conditions of Participation applicable to all participants".

Athletes or support staff "who actively support the war" or are contracted to either the Russian or Belarusian military cannot compete.

AINs must compete individually and not as part of a team. They will compete under a neutral flag, which is teal with an 'AIN' emblem, rather than their country's flag, and will not be able to use their national anthem at medal ceremonies, with an IOC-selected instrumental anthem played instead.

The athletes will not be part of the opening ceremony and the AIN delegation will not have a ranking on the official medals table.

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Who are the AINs at the Winter Olympics 2026?

Here are the 20 AINs, across eight disciplines, at Milano Cortina 2026 and their passport nationality.

Alpine Skiing

Cross-country Skiing

Figure Skating

Freestyle Skiing

AIN freestyle ski athlete Anna Derugo, in a white helmet and purple suit, flies through the air.

Anna Derugo. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Luge

Short Track

Ski Mountaineering

Speed Skating

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of Ned Holmes, smiling against a lime green background.

Ned Holmes

Ned is a sports writer at RadioTimes.com. He has covered a host of sports from EFL football, international cricket and golf all the way through to bike polo and triathlon.

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