February 1, 2026: During the iF3 Monthly All Federations call, the iF3 made several important announcements including an announcement of the host country for Worlds 2026 and addressed the IOC’s guidance change regarding Russian athletes.
Worlds 2026
iF3 Worlds 2026 will be held in the United Kingdom with the exact venue and dates to be announced shortly.
IOC Guidance on Russia and Belarus
In 2022, the iF3 National Federations vote to align with the IOC guidance regarding the return of Russian and Belarussian athletes to sports competitions. The IOC updated their guidance in December 2025 to recommend a return to international sport without restrictions for Russian and Belarussian Junior athletes. As such the iF3 will be adjusting its policy to align with the new guidance. This means that Russian and Belarussian Junior athletes will return to international competition under their own flag for both individual and team competitions effective immediately. Restrictions will remain in place for Senior and Masters athletes. Additionally, the restriction on hosting international events in Belarus has been lifted.
Proposals Up For Vote In March
The National Federations also reviewed and debated 3 proposals that will be up for vote in March. Two of these proposals involve the Junior divisions and include changing the 12 and Under Age group to the 11-12 age group, thus requiring 11 to be the minimum age in competition. The second proposal suggests adding “Skill” as a 5th test for the 12 and Under and 13-14 age groups in international competition.
A third proposal involving only hosting World Championships every other year starting in 2029 received substantial debate and will likely be tabled for 2026 so more thorough discussion can occur among the Federations throughout the year.
The vote for the new iF3 Vice President will also occur in March.
Other Updates
The call also included a review of the 2026 season dates and quota places for each event as well as a discussion of how the new iF3 World Trials events will work for 2026.
