Russian and Belarusian athletes remain barred from IBU events
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Russians are not welcome in world biathlon (Photo: Russian Biathlon Union)
Russian and Belarusian biathletes will remain barred from International Biathlon Union (IBU) competitions during the 2026/27 season, with the suspension of both national federations remaining in force.
The status of the Russian Biathlon Union and the Biathlon Federation of Belarus was reviewed ahead of and during the 17th Ordinary IBU Congress in Berchtesgaden, Germany.
The IBU had previously said their reinstatement was not a decision item on the Congress agenda, as the conditions required to lift the suspensions had not been met.
The Ukrainian Biathlon Federation said the existing restrictions therefore remain unchanged.
“For us, it is important that the decision adopted in 2022 remains in force today,” the federation said. “We will continue to monitor this issue and inform the IBU about what is actually happening.”
The IBU suspended the Russian and Belarusian federations in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus has supported.
Among the conditions set for reconsidering the suspension were a clear distancing of the two federations from the war and guarantees that their athletes and officials were not involved in the armed forces or the Russian war effort.
Russia sought reinstatement
The Russian Biathlon Union submitted documents to the IBU in June 2026 arguing that it had met the requirements for restoring its membership.
After reviewing the submission, the IBU Executive Board concluded that the conditions had not been fulfilled.
As a result, Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials remain excluded from IBU international competitions.
The IBU’s rules also do not currently provide a pathway for athletes from suspended federations to compete under neutral status.
That means Russian and Belarusian biathletes will not compete on the IBU World Cup or IBU Cup circuits during the 2026/27 season.
IBU keeps tougher line than several other federations
The decision leaves biathlon among the sports maintaining some of the strictest restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes.
The International Olympic Committee eased its broader restrictions on Russian athletes earlier this year, prompting several international federations to move toward reinstating Russian teams or competitors.
Volleyball, handball and several other sports have since announced steps toward allowing Russian athletes back into international competition.
The IBU, however, has maintained the restrictions first introduced in 2022.
Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh recently criticized the wider return of Russian athletes to international sport, saying that Russia’s war against Ukraine continues and that conditions for Ukrainian athletes remain fundamentally unchanged.
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