ISU Rejects Appeals of Russian Skaters on Neutral Status
The International Skating Union (ISU) rejected appeals by Russian figure skaters Kamila Valieva and Mark Kondratyuk against the revocation of their neutral status, preventing them from competing internationally. The ISU stated they no longer meet the criteria for neutral athletes, with similar decisions affecting pair skaters Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin.
Consensus
- The International Skating Union (ISU) declined appeals by Russian figure skaters Kamila Valieва and Mark Kondratyuk regarding the revocation of their neutral status.
- The ISU stated that Valieva and Kondratyuk no longer meet the requirements for participation as individual neutral athletes.
- The ISU also rejected appeals from pair skaters Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukiin.
- All four skaters are now barred from competing internationally under the ISU's neutral status framework.
- The ISU did not disclose official reasons for the revocation of neutral status.
- The ISU granted neutral status to Valieva and Kondratyuk in August 2026, but revoked it in September 2026.
- The ISU stated that athletes cannot hold neutral status if they serve in the Russian military or security forces, participate in hostilities in Ukraine, or publicly support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
- The skaters have the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days.
Points of divergence
- The Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation submitted documents to the ISU requesting a re-evaluation of Valieva and Kondratyuk, citing Kondratyuk’s association with CSKA and Valieva’s ties to Tatyana Navka, wife of Dmitry Peskov, a sanctioned Russian official. — fontanka
- The situation with Stepanova and Bukiin is less transparent, with no public allegations made against them, and no explanation provided by the ISU for their initial denial of neutral status. — fontanka
- Valieva’s international career was effectively ended after her four-year doping ban from December 2021, which expired in December 2025, and she returned to competition in March 2026. — fontanka
- Kondratyuk is 23 years old and a European champion in 2022. — fontanka
- The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) began reviewing Valieva’s complaints regarding her doping ban decisions. — tg_tvrain
- The ISU reiterated that athletes must not be serving in the Russian military or security forces or participating in hostilities in Ukraine to qualify for neutral status. — kommerant
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) temporarily suspended the ban on the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), leaving room for future decisions. — vedomosti
- Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian President, described the IOC’s decision as a major achievement and said a Russian negotiation team was working on the issue. — vedomosti
- Commentator Dmitry Gubernev called Valieva’s loss of neutral status a 'troubling story'. — vesti
- On September 8, it became known that Russian skaters Vladislav Dikij and Alexandra Boikova/Dmitry Kozlovsky were named as alternates for ISU Grand Prix events. — vm
- On September 2, the ISU revoked Kondratyuk’s neutral status, leading to his removal from the Kinoshita Group Cup, where he was replaced by Vladislav Dikij. — vm
Coverage (10 sources)
- International Skating Union Stripped Russian Skaters Kamila Valieva and Mark Kondratyuk of Neutral Status — Meduza
- ISU rejected appeals of Russian figure skaters Kamila Valieva and Mark Kondratyuk to revoke neutral status. — ТАСС (Telegram)
- Four Russian figure skaters left without international starts. What is known about the reasons — Фонтанка
- Appeal by figure skaters Kamila Valieva and Mark Konstantinov against revocation of their neutral status rejected — Дождь (Telegram)
- ISU rejected appeals of Valeyeva and Kondratyuk on withdrawal of neutral status — Коммерсантъ
- ISU rejected appeals of Russian figure skaters to withdraw neutral status — Ведомости
- ISU rejected appeals of Vasilyeva and Kondratyuk on withdrawal of neutral status — Вести
- ISU rejected appeals from Valeyeva, Kondratyuk, Stepanova and Bukin for neutral status — Вечерняя Москва
- ISU rejected appeal of Russian skaters Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin on refusal of neutral status. — ТАСС (Telegram)
- ISU rejected appeals of Russian figure skaters Kamila Valieva and Mark Kondratyuk to revoke neutral status. — ТАСС (Telegram)
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