Dec 23 (Reuters) - Russian ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov has been issued an official invitation to the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said.
Russia and Belarus were banned by the IOC following the former's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the IOC ruled in September that Russians and Belarusians cleared to compete at the Games would compete as neutral independent athletes, without a national flag or anthem.
Filippov is Russia’s third officially approved athlete for the Games, joining figure skaters Adelia Petrosyan and Pyotr Gumennik. Belarusian figure skater Viktoriya Safonova has also been cleared to take part following an evaluation by the IOC's eligibility panel.
The 23-year-old Filippov, competing in his first Olympics, told Russian media that he has submitted all the required documentation.
Next year's Milano Cortina Winter Olympics will feature ski mountaineering for the first time at the Games, with the events taking place from February 19-21.
(Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Ed Osmond)
