Russian skier **[Ivan Gorbunov](https://example.com/ivan-gorbunov)** has shared that the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (**[FIS](https://example.com/fis)**) denied his request for individual neutral athlete status (AIN).

“I received a refusal, but not for the reason we had anticipated. It was due to non-compliance with anti-doping regulations. FIS didn’t offer any explanations; I submitted all the test results we underwent, and there were many. Over the past four years, there haven’t been any international tests, despite us being in Europe several times this year. If they had wanted to conduct checks, they would have done so, but there was no initiative from their side. Therefore, we ended up with this outcome. I know other young athletes faced similar refusals. I won’t pursue legal action; we’re already out of time to prove anything. It’s a pointless expenditure of time and effort.

I submitted an official application and completed all the forms they sent me. A significant amount of time passed. I inquired about the absence of a response. I was supposed to receive an invoice for payment, but it never arrived; I was informed that the review process takes 30 days. On December 30, I received an official rejection for this reason. There are many athletes worldwide who have started competing in the World Cup, and they also lack testing… Why can they participate while our juniors cannot? This reflects double standards. I had no expectations. I told myself, ‘You’ve done everything you could,’” Gorbunov stated, as reported by Match TV.