The acronym AIN stands for Athletes Individuels Neutres, a French phrase that translates to “Individual Neutral Athletes.” The delegation “AIN” exclusively belongs to Russian and Belarusian athletes that are participating at the Olympic Games. This category of athletes was introduced at the 2024 Paris Olympics and is also being used at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 32 athletes participated as individual neutral athletes. At the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, there are 20 athletes competing under the designation.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, the countries of Russia and Belarus were banned from the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for violating the Olympic truce.
AIN athletes are not allowed to represent their country or wear their flag, and if they earn a medal, their national anthem will not be played. These athletes also do not participate in the Parade of Nations during the Opening Ceremony.
What does AIN stand for?
AIN stands for Athletes Individuels Neutres — “Individual Neutral Athletes” in English.
How do ‘neutral’ athletes qualify?
To be eligible as an AIN athlete, competitors must hold a passport from Russia or Belarus. They cannot have expressed support for the war in Ukraine, cannot have any affiliation with the Russian or Belarusian military, and must qualify for their event through standard qualification pathways. They also must compete in individual events, as no team events are allowed for Individual Neutral Athletes.
Certain international federations can prohibit athletes from attempting to qualify. For example, the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation does not allow Russian or Belarusian athletes to attempt qualification as neutrals. While the IOC permits Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as AIN, they remain subject to the qualification policies of their respective sport’s international federation.
