Article by Roxana Fleşeru – Published Thursday, February 19, 2026 10:05 p.m. / Updated Thursday, February 19, 2026 10:16 p.m.
Nikita Filippov (23 years old) is the first neutral athlete from Russia to climb the Olympic podium in Milan-Cortina, he won the silver in the ski-mountaineering sprint event.
Nikita Filippov is one of thirteen athletes from Russia who have been cleared to participate in the Milan-Cortina Olympics after the IOC assured them that they do not support the war with Ukraine.
He took the start in the sprint ski-mountaineering event on Thursday and finished second, 1.52 seconds behind Spain's Oriol Cardona Coll.
With this distinction, Filippov became the first individual neutral athlete to win a medal in Italy. After the race, he acknowledged the difficulty of not celebrating his country.
“It's hard because I see other athletes with the flags of their countries and wearing uniforms with national symbols. But it's okay. Everyone knows what country I'm from. I'm just happy to be here and to have achieved my childhood dream.” said Filippov, quoted by AP. Neutral athletes are not allowed to wear equipment with national insignia, nor to have their flag present at award ceremonies. Filippov wore a white jacket with light blue on the shoulders and hood to the ceremony.
Nikita Filipov in action PHOTO Guliver/GettyImages
Nikita Filippov and social media pressure
The pressure from social media to win a medal? It was huge—at least from the comments he saw. “They said: «Nikita Filippov, today is a very important day for us, because we have no medal and he is our hope. The main hope,” said Filippov, who hails from the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's far east. “I was saying to myself, 'Relax, Nikita. Do what you know how to do and the medal will come.'”
Nikita fell short of Cardona Coll in the final downhill, but edged out bronze medalist Thibault Anselmet of France. “Nikita is an amazing athlete,” Anselmet said. The Russian had his own gallery of supporters in the stands, made up of his friends. He also appreciated their support. “They came and printed my face big on posters. It was something very special,” he said.
“After the finish, I was speechless for about 30 seconds,” said Filippov, whose biography says he had his first encounter with a bear when he was 8 years old. “Athen I realized that I won the silver medal and I was very happy. Last season, no one believed in me except my family, friends, coach and dad. And now I'm here — I won the silver medal”he concluded.
