The IOC has sent an invitation to the Olympics to Russian ski mountaineer Filippov

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has sent an invitation to ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov to participate in the 2026 Olympics in a neutral status. This was announced on December 19 on the organization's website.

The athlete is on the list of participants in the ski mountaineering competitions.

"Athletes with a Russian passport are allowed and invited to participate," the message says.

The IOC also clarified that the list of eligible athletes will be updated.

Now with the IOC: Russia accelerates its return to world sport

Sports authorities expand Russians' access to competitions

The IOC selected Filippov for the Olympics on December 1, but at that time the athlete had not received an official invitation. Figure skater Adelia Petrosyan and her colleague Peter Gumennik also accepted an invitation to participate in the 2026 Olympic Games in a neutral status.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.