2026 Winter Olympics: Russian Athletes, Schedule, and How to Watch
In 2026, a major sporting event will take place — the Winter Olympics. Italy, the cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, have been chosen as the hosts. But that is formal, since the competitions will also be held in several other cities on the peninsula. Below we tell you which Russians are allowed to compete, where to watch the competitions, and in which disciplines the athletes will participate.
This is what the medals that athletes will receive look like
When the competitions will take place
The Russian ski mountaineer will compete at the Olympics
The Games will be held from 6 to 22 February 2026, but in some disciplines, qualifying stages will be held a little earlier than the indicated dates.
Adelia Petrosian, according to experts, will compete for gold medals
It is worth noting that Italy is also set to host the Paralympic Games. They are scheduled for the period from 6 to 15 March 2026.
Where to watch the competitions
For the first time, the Games will not be shown on public channels for Russians. Usually, the games were broadcast on the thematic free channel Match TV, and some competitions were shown on Channel One.
The Italian Olympics will be shown on the Okko streaming service. This was confirmed by the company’s press service on 21 January.
In which disciplines medals will be awarded
The competitions in Italy will take place in 16 sports. The official website lists the following disciplines: «At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, 16 disciplines will be represented, including alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, luge, Nordic combined, short track speed skating, skeleton, ski jumping, ski mountaineering, snowboard, and speed skating.»
The only new sport that will be presented in Italy is ski mountaineering. Its essence is that athletes move up and down a track, combining cross-country skiing with hiking. Medals will also be awarded in new disciplines: in alpine skiing, there will be team combined events; in luge, there will be women’s doubles; women’s large hill in ski jumping; mixed team events in skeleton; and men’s and women’s dual moguls.
Which Russians will take part in the competitions
Russians can take part in the Olympic Games, but without a flag and anthem. In other words, they will be neutral athletes. The reason is the current political situation.
So far, only a few athletes from Russia who are set to go to Italy are known. In the new discipline, ski mountaineering, Nikita Filippov will compete. A native of the Russian Far East, he successfully passed the selection and paid 5,000 euros (over 500,000 rubles, approximately $5,000 at current rates) for the right to participate in the competitions. A master of sports and 23-time Russian champion in this discipline — he is the only Russian who will compete at the Games.
In figure skating, the country will be represented by two singles skaters — Adelia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik. The girl is a two-time Russian champion and has also won the Russian Cup Final three times. Gumennik has collected all possible types of medals at the Russian Championships and is a two-time Grand Prix winner. The skaters have the most difficult, quadruple jumps in their arsenal.
In cross-country skiing, Saveliy Korostelev and Daria Nepryaeva will compete as neutral athletes. They were the first Russians to receive this status and have already passed the necessary qualifying competitions.
Korostelev is a young athlete, a multiple Russian champion. Specialists call him one of the main rivals of the famous Alexander Bolshunov.
Daria Nepryaeva was born into a sports family. Her mother is an Honored Coach of Russia in cross-country skiing, and her older sister Natalia is an Olympic champion. By the age of 23, Daria is a two-time Russian champion and a master of sports, a world junior champion in her discipline.
Invitations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were received by short track speed skaters Ivan Posashkov and Alena Krylova.
In addition, speed skaters Ksenia Korzhova and Anastasia Semenova and lugers Daria Olesik and Pavel Repilov have received Olympic licenses. Several other athletes are awaiting final decisions from the IOC regarding their participation. It is worth noting that Russians will not participate in team events; they have only been allowed in individual disciplines.
As for the Paralympic Games, Russians have a much greater chance of competing here.
«There could be about forty athletes in cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, and para snowboard. Unfortunately, the guys are not getting into the Games in curling and sled hockey. There is still no decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport on biathletes. We are applying to participate in the Games in three disciplines,» — said Pavel Rozhkov, head of the Russian Paralympic Committee, on Match TV.
The most interesting competitions
Traditionally, hockey competitions generate huge interest among Russians. The Russian national team, as we said above, is not taking part in this sport. The final will take place on the last day of the Olympics, 22 February. Women’s competitions will end on 20 February. The main matches will be held at the Santa Giulia hockey arena in Milan, which was built shortly before the start of the competitions. An amusing fact: in the very first match at this arena, a hole formed almost in the center of the ice rink.
The biathlon stadium in Anterselva will host biathletes. The first starts will take place on 8 February, when medals will be awarded in the mixed 4x 6-kilometer relay. On other days, the program includes individual races, sprints, and pursuit races. Mass starts will take place on 20 and 21 February: for men over 15, and for women over 12.5 kilometers, respectively.
In figure skating, five sets of medals will be awarded. Team competitions start on 6 February, with winners determined only on the 8th. Then there will be pair and individual events. Medals will be awarded on 11, 13, 16, and 19 February. By the way, they will be awarded immediately after the competitions, which is also a novelty — previously, ceremonies were held at a separate time.
The full competition schedule and the date of the Olympic medal draws can be found at this link.
Earlier we reported that Russia will have a new Olympic mascot. Here is what it looks like.
