India, Jan. 14 -- Two more Russian athletes were approved by the International Olympic Committee to compete at the Milan Cortina Winter Games next month with neutral status.

The total is now five athletes with Russian passports and one from Belarus confirmed by the IOC as eligible for the Olympics that open Feb. 6. They will not have their national identity of team colors, flag or anthem and cannot take part in the opening ceremony athlete parades. Short-track speed skaters Ivan Posashkov and Alena Krylova joined the list updated by the IOC late Monday. The 21-year-old Posashkov competes in the men's 1,000-meter event and the 23-year-old Krylova in the women's 500 meters.

Neutral status can be given to athletes in individual events judg...