Russian biathletes, along with their federation and Paralympic committee, have filed a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn the International Biathlon Union's (IBU) ban and secure participation in the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The IBU maintains its stance against a neutral athlete pathway, citing its rules and the ongoing war in Ukraine. This legal action follows recent court decisions overturning blanket bans in other Winter Olympic sports, creating a divergence in policy. Leading athletes like Sebastian Samuelsson and Elvira Öberg have voiced support for the IBU’s position.

Despite the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) decision to lift suspensions on Russian and Belarusian National Paralympic Committees, several federations, including the International Ski and Snowboard Federation and {178.names.en}, have maintained their bans. This means athletes from these countries are unlikely to compete in the upcoming Milano Cortina Paralympics. The IPC's decision, made in September, to restore full membership rights was met with concern from numerous countries. While the IPC is optimistic about the 2026 Winter Paralympics, federations' actions limit participation. The Games are set for March 2026.

WFDF President Robert Rauch warned about excessive financial dependence on Olympic revenues during the International Federations Forum. He highlighted that many federations rely heavily on Olympic funding. WFDF was also recognized for strong institutional governance, ranking second in the ARISF governance review with a score of 84 out of 100. Rauch also discussed the need to attract younger demographics to the Olympics and the WFDF's ongoing dialogue for inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Games.

The IF Forum 2025 in Lausanne addressed the challenges of technological disruption, geopolitical shifts, and audience fragmentation in global sport. Discussions focused on agile governance, audience engagement through storytelling and digital adaptation, and achieving structural equality for women in sports, including increased representation in coaching and leadership roles. Athlete empowerment and their involvement in decision-making were also highlighted, alongside updates from Milano Cortina 2026 and Los Angeles 2028.

The SportAccord IF Forum 2025, to be held in Lausanne from October 27-29, will gather over 400 International Federation leaders to discuss governance, sustainability, and innovation under the theme 'The New Global Reality in Sport.' Key sessions include discussions on commercialization, women’s sport, audience engagement, and keynote speeches from experts like Professor Simon Chadwick. Speakers include Petra Sörling (International Table Tennis Federation), Max Cobb (International Biathlon Union), François Vergnol (International Equestrian Federation), Fabio Azevedo (International Volleyball Federation) and Jiao Li (International Skating Union). The forum aims to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange in preparation for the SportAccord Convention 2026 in Baku.