Russia and its ally Belarus remain banned from competing at the Olympics, although contestants from the two countries can still compete as independent athletes.
WASHINGTON — While nearly 100 countries are represented at the 2026 Olympics, a few notable countries won’t be participating.
It’s a familiar sight for Olympics watchers: Russian and Belarusian athletes competing without their flag or any formal representation of their country.
Why isn’t Russia in the Parade of Nations?
Russia and its ally Belarus are banned from competing at the Olympics. They were booted from the Games after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the ban continues through the 2026 season.
That isn’t to say Russian athletes won’t be at the Olympics.
Unlike team sports, some individual competitions will allow qualified Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate under strict conditions.
The International Olympic Committee’s formula for “Individual Neutral Athletes” for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games led the International Skating Union to announce a parallel program to allow the possibility of Olympic qualification for up to 24 Russian and 24 Belarusian athletes.
But these athletes, because they’re technically competing without a country, aren’t allowed to be part of the Parade of Nations.
Russian teams, including the country’s powerful hockey program, remain banned from competing entirely at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Which Russian athletes are in the Olympics?
Russia has sent 13 athletes and Belarus has sent seven competitors, all of whom have accepted invitations to compete at the 2026 Games as individual neutral athletes.
Strict vetting process
Athletes seeking neutral status must pass a rigorous two-step vetting process. They cannot have publicly supported the Ukraine invasion or be affiliated with military or state security agencies. All competitors must also follow anti-doping rules and qualify through existing Olympic qualification systems.
Just 15 Russian athletes were permitted to take part in the Paris Olympics last summer, competing as neutrals. The athletes had to qualify for the Games and pass a double check, first by the international sports federations and then by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to prove they met the strict requirements.
A history of competing under different names
This isn’t the first time Russian athletes have competed under alternative designations at the Olympics. After Russia was suspended in 2017 due to doping, select competitors attended the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics as “Olympic Athletes from Russia.” Russians competed in Tokyo and Beijing under the “Russian Olympic Committee,” or ROC, as part of continued doping sanctions.
North Korea is also out
North Korea, despite its hostile stances toward the U.S. and South Korea, had been allowed to participate in the Games for decades. But in recent years, they’ve been absent from the Winter Games with no sign that they are interested in coming back.
North Korea announced in 2021 it would not participate in the delayed Summer Olympics due to COVID-19 concerns, as the pandemic was sweeping the globe.
Because the Olympic Charter mandates members’ participation, North Korea was suspended by the International Olympic Committee from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The country competed in the 2025 Summer Olympics in Paris, with 16 athletes across seven sports.
But they will again be absent from the 2026 Games after its athletes failed to qualify. Instead, the reclusive nation has launched its own national winter games, which are expected to take place alongside the Olympics, Reuters reported.