Why did the International Skating Union revoke Russian figure skaters Kamila Valieva’s and Mark Kondratiuk’s individual neutral athlete status over alleged public support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, what appeal options and potential consequences do they face, and how does this d

The ISU’s reported action concerns political-neutrality eligibility, not a new doping finding. It reportedly suspended or revoked Kamila Valieva’s and Mark Kondratiuk’s Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) clearance after Ukraine raised evidence alleging public conduct inconsistent with the prohibition on supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the ISU has not publicly detailed the evidentiary findings. 115

• Why their AIN status is at issue: AIN status is conditional: athletes must compete independently, without Russian symbols, and satisfy strict neutrality screening. The ISU created this limited pathway after barring Russian and Belarusian skaters following the full-scale invasion, initially for Olympic-qualification events and later for broader international competition. 356

• Appeals and practical consequences: Reports say both skaters have appealed internally; if the ISU upholds the decision, they could challenge it at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. 5 While suspended, they cannot enter ISU events—Kondratiuk consequently missed the Kinoshita Group Cup Challenger in Tokyo. 8 A final loss of AIN status could exclude them from Challenger events, Grand Prix opportunities, World Championships and any future Olympic qualification for as long as the status remains unavailable. 68

• Valieva’s doping case is legally separate: Her four-year ban arose from the positive test for trimetazidine collected around the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and was imposed by CAS in the dispute involving Valieva, RUSADA, WADA and the ISU. 4 The ban elapsed in late 2025, allowing a return to Russian domestic skating, but it did not itself confer eligibility for international competition: she still had to pass the distinct AIN neutrality process. Her later attempt to revise the CAS award was rejected by Switzerland’s Federal Tribunal. 12

• Why this is politically significant: Petrosian and Gumennik competed at the Milan Cortina Olympics as neutral athletes, because Russian teams remained barred. 4 The Valieva–Kondratiuk case therefore tests whether the post-invasion screening system can remain credible once evidence of public pro-war activity emerges—not merely whether athletes avoid flags and anthems.

• Ukraine’s position: Ukraine’s skating federation asked the ISU to reassess several Russian skaters’ neutral eligibility, alleging that Kondratiuk and others had connections to Russian military structures and that Valieva’s public conduct was incompatible with neutrality. 15 Its wider demand is for tougher, continuing—not one-off—screening, a concern reinforced by independent reporting that some Russian athletes approved as neutrals had links to pro-war activity. 3

The essential caveat is that the allegations have not been publicly adjudicated in a detailed ISU decision, so the current reporting supports a provisional eligibility dispute rather than a definitive public finding that either skater committed a specified violation. 15