Resolution Criteria

Six Russian athletes will compete under their national flag at the 2026 Paralympics in Milan-Cortina, taking place from 6 to 15 March. The market resolves YES if any of these six Russian athletes wins a medal (gold, silver, or bronze) while competing under the Russian flag. The six Russian athletes will compete in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding, with two slots in alpine skiing, two in cross-country skiing and two in snowboarding. Resolution can be verified through official International Paralympic Committee results at https://www.paralympic.org/milano-cortina-2026 or major sports news outlets covering the Games.

Background

Athletes from Russia and Belarus had been banned from competing under their own flags since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russia and Belarus won an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in December against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, and both NPCs were eligible to apply for bipartite slots through FIS for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. Three-time alpine skiing gold medallist Alexey Bugaev is among the athletes taking part.

Considerations

Should a Paralympic athlete win gold, it will be the first time the Russian anthem has been played on the stage of a major global sporting event since the invasion. It will mark the first time a Russian flag has been flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia.