New Delhi: The International Ski and Snowboard Federation has said that its council has voted against allowing the Russia athletes from competing in the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Along with the athletes from Russia, the Belarusian athletes have also been barred from competing.

The decision taken by the council of the governing body known as FIS blocks the Russian skiers and snowboarders from dozens of events at February’s Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) though allows athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus to compete as ‘Individual Neutral Athletes,’ as they did at last year’s Paris Olympics.

However, the IOC allows the international federations which run each sport to decided whether to use the system in their qualifiers or not. FIS has also opted again

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