The World Sailing Council has lifted sanctions on Belarusian athletes and opened youth competition to both Belarusian and Russian competitors, following a formal vote at its meeting.
The update to the Neutrality Policy, which governs the eligibility of Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) in World Sailing competitions, passed with 22 in favour, four against and five abstentions. The amendment also clarifies that a crew of two does not constitute a team under the policy.
The Council approved several other items during the meeting. Amendments to the World Sailing Safeguarding policy received unanimous support. A recommendation on Olympic sailing competition formats, aimed at streamlining competition and improving broadcaster appeal, passed with 31 in favour, one against and two abstentions.
Council also received an update on Para Sailing from World Sailing Vice President Dr. Sophia Papamichalopoulos OLY, covering progress on classification in alignment with the IPC. Submissions related to Class Rules Interpretations, an amendment to the number of Para World Sailing titles, and a clarification to the Code of Ethics were all approved.
The next World Sailing Council meeting is on 9 September 2026.
