ISU Rejects Appeals of Russian Figure Skaters Valieva and Kondratyuk

GENEVA, September 10. /TASS/. The International Skating Union (ISU) has rejected the appeals of Russian figure skaters Kamila Valieva and Mark Kondratyuk against the revocation of their neutral status, the ISU’s press office announced on Thursday.

Last month, the ISU granted neutral status to Valieva and Kondratyuk for their participation in international tournaments but revoked it earlier this month. The athletes appealed the decision.

Valieva, 20, earlier decided to resume her figure skating career after completing a four-year ban imposed over anti-doping rules’ violation. The figure skater was officially permitted to begin training sessions starting on October 25, 2025.

Kondratyuk, 23, is the Olympic bronze medalist in the team event and also the 2022 European champion.

Participation of Russian figure skaters in int’l competitions

In March 2022, the ISU suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes from all international tournaments supervised by the organization due to the developments in Ukraine.

At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the ISU allowed two Russian figure skaters to participate under a neutral status - Adelia Petrosyan and Petr Gumennik.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a decision in July to reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and also recommended lifting restrictions on the participation of Russian athletes in all international tournaments, including both in individual and team competitions.

Starting from the 2026/27 season, the International Skating Union allowed Russian figure skaters to participate in international competitions in a neutral status.