Norwegian star is crystal clear about what he thinks of Russian participation in the Olympics – but not about what he himself will do if they are allowed to compete.

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is adamant that he opposes Russian participation in the Olympics as long as the war in Ukraine continues in full force.

However, the 28-year-old, who won six gold medals out of six possible at the World Championships in Trondheim, is unsure whether he would boycott the Olympics if the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) decides to let them participate.

“I haven’t come that far yet, to be honest. We’ll see what the outcome is first, and then we’ll have to discuss it,” Klæbo told NRK.

He emphasized that he believes it is right to maintain the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

So far, the Norwegian national cross-country team has not taken a position on a potential Olympic boycott.

“Of course, this is of interest to everyone and is being discussed, but for now we are waiting for a final decision from FIS,” national team coach Per Elias Kalfoss told Langrenn.com.

“We’ll take a stand on a possible boycott once we see what FIS decides. We’re not spending energy on that right now.”

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in Italy from February 6 to 22.

Also Read: Program for biathlon at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

Says a firm no

Swedish cross-country star Linn Svahn, however, has no doubts. For her, it’s out of the question to compete in the Olympics if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed back.

“If you ask me here and now, the answer is that then I don’t want to compete,” said the 25-year-old.

Read More – Ready to boycott Olympics: “Then I don’t want to compete”

Signs of a possible opening?

Concern is growing within the skiing community that FIS may allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to return. Suddenly, FIS has cast doubt on whether they will maintain the current suspension. A final decision was expected at last week’s autumn meetings, but that did not happen. Instead, FIS postponed the decision until later this fall.

When FIS presented the quotas for the 2026 Olympics, they held back 10 spots. The reason is that several smaller nations requested an extension of the qualification deadline to meet Olympic standards. That deadline has now been set for mid-January.

Also Read: FIS postpones Russian and Belarus decision

IOC says yes, FIS may say no

In September, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave the green light for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to the 2026 Olympics under the same strict conditions applied at the 2024 Paris Games.

However, it is still up to each international federation to decide whether to allow these athletes to participate. During last week’s autumn meetings, FIS chose to postpone its final decision until the end of October.

Shortly afterward, a shock announcement was made by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC): it decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate under their own flag and without restrictions.

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has already distributed all Olympic quotas, and none have been allocated to Russia or Belarus.

Read More – IOC: Russians and Belarusians allowed to compete under neutral flag at 2026 Milano Cortina

Are you interested in traditional cross-country skiing? Click HERE and read more about it.

As a member of ProXCskiing.com, you get full access to all content on the site. Also, live streaming of Ski Classics events with English commentaries is available.

When you become part of one of the World’s leading XC ski communities, you will receive many exclusive offers all year round.

REGISTER HERE AS A MEMBER