Anastasia Tatalina, a Russian freestyle skier, missed out on competing in the Olympics due to her failure to meet the eligibility criteria established by the International Ski Federation (FIS). Specifically, Tatalina did not accumulate enough points in the World Cup needed to qualify. This situation arose in the context of Russian and Belarusian athletes being barred from international competitions following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, impacting their qualifications significantly.

In December 2025, the FIS granted permission to nine Russian and Belarusian skiers to participate in competitions under the status of neutral athletes. Tatalina was included in this group, which was a hopeful sign for her aspirations to compete internationally. However, she was left with only a month to meet the qualifying criteria for the Olympic Games, which added pressure to her situation as she endeavored to fulfill the requirements necessary to represent her country.

The emotional toll of this scenario became evident as Tatalina expressed her disappointment over her exclusion from the Olympics on her Instagram account. In response, several Olympic athletes have publicly shown their support for Tatalina in the comment section of her post, affirming their solidarity with her as she navigates this challenging situation. They expressed sentiments of encouragement, emphasizing their camaraderie and commitment to supporting her during her time of struggle, as she prepares to fight for her athletic future in a highly complex political and competitive landscape.