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Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) andIndividual Neutral Athlete (AIN) are a capacity under which athletes can compete at international sporting competitions without representing their nations, as is standard convention under theOlympic Charter.[1] As of August 2022, onlyRussian andBelarusian athletes of some sports have competed or are competing within the ANA capacity.
Originally introduced in athletics in 2017 following theRussian doping scandal which first came to light in December 2014,[2][3][4] the term was introduced to other sports following theRussian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Quoting a breach of theOlympic Truce by the Russian government in which Belarus was complicit, theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended suspending all teams, officials and competitors fromRussia andBelarus from being involved in sport due to security concerns, while allowing individuals to compete in a neutral capacity.[5]
The idea of competing as "neutral athletes" was first proposed in 2016 by theWorld Anti-Doping Agency and the governing body of athletics,International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) at the conclusion of an investigation into Russian state manipulation of doping controls.[6][7] Around the same time, Russian track and field athleteYuliya Stepanova requested to compete as a neutral instead of representing her country at the2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. The IOC ruled against the proposal stating that it ran contrary to the Olympic Charter, also announcing they would continue to permit Russian competitors at the games subject to approval by the international federation concerned of the sports composing the games, and doping clearance approved outside of Russia.[1][8]
The IAAF had already imposed an outright ban on track and field athletes competing but following an appeal at theCourt of Arbitration for Sport byDarya Klishina, a Russian Long Jumper based in theUnited States, the IAAF was forced to allow athletes who passed anti-doping test outside of Russia. Klishina was the only track and field athlete to represent Russia at the 2016 Olympic Games.[9][10]
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In April 2017 atIAAF World Championships in Athletics ofLondon 2017, with the IAAF free to apply their own rules, approved the participation of agroup of 19 Russians competing as neutral athletes, the first time the Authorised Neutral Athlete term was used.[3] A total of eight athletes competed as neutrals at the2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships.[11] A total of nine athletes competed as neutrals at the2018 IAAF World U20 Championships.[12] A total of 30 athletes competed asneutrals at the 2018 European Athletics Championships. A total of 29 athletes competed asneutrals at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
In response to the invasion, many sports' governing bodies immediately banned Russians and Belarusians from competing altogether, including in athletics whose Russians were already competing as authorised neutrals.
In tennis, theInternational Tennis Federation allowed Russians and Belarusians to continue playing as individuals without any national representation, but did not implement any designated group or category name.[13]
In motorsport, theFédération Internationale de l'Automobile, a recognised International Sports Federation by the IOC,[14] followed the recommendation to allow drivers, competitors and officials to continue competing in a neutral capacity.[15][16] Although the FIA press release used the terms Authorised Neutral Competitor (ANC), Authorised Neutral Driver (AND) and Authorised Neutral Official (ANO), it was widely accepted that the term Authorised Neutral Athlete could also be used.[17][18][19][20] Indeed, in theFIA World Rally Championship, Russians includingNikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov began competing under the Authorised Neutral Athlete flag immediately following the ruling.[21][22][23] Whilst it is not confirmed as the intended reason, this helps to avoid confusion with thecountry code AND forAndorra. InFIA Formula Three circuit racing, Russian driverAlexander Smolyar is included on entry lists as having an 'AND' license, meanwhile in theGT World Challenge Europe, Russian drivers appear on entry lists as having ND license and nationality on profiles and no flag is ever presented in either championship.[24][25][26][27]
In cycling, theUnion Cycliste Internationale (UCI) also permitted athletes to continue competing in a neutral capacity whilst banning all Russian and Belarusian teams, officials and events. The UCI requested event organisers to replace the names, emblems and colours of the two countries with a"neutral reference or denomination".[28] So far, affected cyclists have not raced under any form of neutral name in events such as theTour de France.
In theOlga Kharlan handshaking incident at the2023 World Fencing Championships, Russian sabre fencerAnna Smirnova [ru] competed as an Authorised Neutral Athlete against UkrainianOlga Kharlan.[29][30] In the bout, Kharlan defeated Smirnova 15–7. At the time, and since July 1, 2020 (and reconfirmed byFIE public notice in September 2020 and in January 2021), by public written notice the FIE had replaced its previous handshake requirement with a "salute" by the opposing fencers, and written in its public notice that handshakes were "suspended until further notice."[31][32][33][34][35] At the end of the bout the fencers came to the center of the strip and Smirnova extended her hand to Kharlan, who in turn extended her saber in an offer to the Russian to tap blades.[30][36][37] Kharlan said her choice of salute was meant as a sign of respect for her Russian opponent, while still acknowledging the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.[38] She said:
I proposed the salute with the blade, she didn’t want to do it and the referee told me I could leave, and after that I warmed up for the next bout, then ... they said they wanted to talk to me. I was informed that I had received the black card, but I don’t think it was the referee. The referee’s decision – he continued – was not to give the black card. It is very cruel even towards him, it is very cruel for everyone.[39]
Kharlan said that FIE interim president Emmanuel Katsiadakis, who had succeeded Russian oligarchAlisher Usmanov as head of the FIE in 2022, had assured her the day prior that it was "possible" not to shake hands, and to instead offer a touch of her blade.[36][40] She said: "I thought I had his word, to be safe, but apparently, no."[36] Kharlan then walked away, while Smirnova refused to leave thepiste and made a 45-minute long sit-down protest.[41][42][36] This was followed by Kharlan being disqualified by FIE officials.[43] The decision was reversed the following day.[44]
...e l'ANA (Authorised Neutral Athlete) di Mariya Kuchina maritata Lasitskene e diSergey Shubenkov, la caucasica e il siberiano che, senza bandiera, riportano in scena unaRussia ancora in via di espiazione.
Smirnova approached the Ukrainian to shake hands, but Kharlan, an Olympic champion, held up her sabre instead and walked away.