Athletes hailing from Russia and Belarus have been permitted by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to compete as approved neutral participants this season. The federation emphasized that these athletes, along with coaches and officials, must agree to a neutrality declaration based on FIS-established principles to be eligible for participation in FIS competitions, with potential sanctions for non-compliance.

In a December ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Russian skiers saw the end of a nearly four-year ban from international competitions amidst the conflict in Ukraine. This ruling enabled Russian skiers to make a comeback to World Cup events in various disciplines such as Alpine, cross-country, and freestyle skiing, and snowboarding as they aim to qualify for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics scheduled for February.

The FIS ruling council has extended the neutral athlete policy for the upcoming winter season, emphasizing that athletes can only participate in individual events and must refrain from displaying any national symbols, including flags, anthems, or uniforms.

Despite the approval to compete, Russian athletes and team officials may still encounter difficulties securing visas to enter certain European countries that host World Cup races.