Russian alpine skiers Yulia Pleshkova and Semyon Yefimov have received invitations from the International Olympic Committee to participate in the 2026 Olympics, according to the Russian Alpine Skiing Federation as reported by KAMCHATKA-INFORM news agency.

Twenty-eight-year-old Yulia Pleshkova from Kamchatka, a graduate of the "Moroznaya" Olympic Reserve Sports School and an International-Class Master of Sports, is set to represent the region. Her impressive career includes victories and podium finishes in European Cup stages, two medals at the Winter Universiade, a silver medal at the 2018 Junior World Championships, multiple national champion titles, and numerous wins in Russian Cup events. She previously competed at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Having received neutral status in December of last year, Pleshkova regained the opportunity to participate in international competitions. The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held from February 6 to 22 in the Italian regions of Veneto and Lombardy. The Kamchatka skier is scheduled to compete in the Downhill (February 8) and Super-G (February 12) events.

While Kamchatka's Ivan Kuznetsov, a Beijing Olympian, also received neutral status from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) in December, his chances of participating in the upcoming Games are currently considered minimal. The Russian Alpine Skiing Federation had previously stated that only two athletes—one man and one woman—would compete in Italy. Semyon Yefimov has already secured the invitation for the men's team.

In a separate development, Kamchatka athlete Nikita Filippov has been included in the preliminary list of participants for the 2026 Olympics in ski mountaineering. In mid-January, he won his first international career bronze medal at a World Cup stage in France.

Photo courtesy of the Russian Alpine Skiing Federation.