Since 2016, Russia has had to compete under differing names at the Olympics. That’s the year it was revealed numerous Russian athletes had been involved in a years-long, state-sponsored doping scheme, which saw the nation collect plenty of medals. However, those athletes had to go by differe nt names since competitions refused to name Russia outright in the scheme’s aftermath due to the bans. In 2018, Russian athletes who passed drug tests had to go by the “Olympic Athletes from Russia,” or OAR, delegation. In the Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Beijing Games the name was changed to the the “Russian Olympic Committee,” or ROC, delegation. But that was updated once again at the 2024 Paris Olympics, when approved athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports were established as Individual Neutral Athletes, or “AINs.” Will Russia compete as AINs again at the 2026 Olympics in Italy? Here’s what to know: MORE OLYMPICS COVERAGE my new favorite olympian Jan 5 Meet the Team USA athletes to root for at the 2026 Olympics and Paralympics 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Jan 14 Diversity is still an issue at the Winter Olympics, but U.S. is making some strides 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Jan 13 What to know about registration for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics tickets draw What does AIN mean at the Olympics? AIN at the Olympics refers to “Individual Neutral Athletes” (IOC country code after the French name Athlètes Individuels Neutres). What will Russia go by at the Milan Cortina Olympics? Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete under the AIN name since Russia is facing punishment at the games due to its involvement in the war with Ukraine. Can Russian athletes compete in the 2026 Olympics? Yes, Russian athletes can compete in Italy, but they must be approved to do so. The same applies to Belarusian competitors. The Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP) evaluates the eligibility of each athlete with a Russian or Belarusian passport to participate in the games. Once an invitation is approved, it falls on the respective athlete to accept. How many Russian athletes will be at the 2026 Olympics? Russia is set to have 13 athletes competing, while Belarus will see just seven. In 2022, Russia had more than 200 athletes involved. The Olympics committee tracked the 2026 qualified athletes here. How many medals did Russia win at the last Winter Olympics? Russia, which went by ROC in the Beijing Games, enjoyed a successful Winter Olympics last time out. The ROC delegation finished with 32 medals (five gold, 12 silver, 15 bronze). They had the most silver and bronze winners, as well as finishing second on the total medal table, trailing just Norway (37). ...read more read less