Strong warning to Sweden: “Swedish authorities should be on high alert.”

Earlier this fall, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) adopted new guidelines for the neutral status of athletes from Russia and Belarus. So far, over 200 athletes from these countries have been cleared to participate in international competitions. This decision has been met with strong disapproval from both the Swedish Ski Association and the Swedish government.

Swedish authorities have now confirmed that they are exploring the possibility of denying Russian athletes visas for the World Championships in Falun. While Russian athletes have received approval from FIS, it is the individual nations at the foreign policy level that ultimately decide whether they can obtain visas to enter the country.

“The government and Swedish sports have been very clear in our stance against allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions. The government is currently analyzing the legal grounds for denying visas to Russian and Belarusian athletes,” says Sweden’s Migration Minister Johan Forsell to SVT.

Also Read: Sweden wants to bar Russians from the World Championships: “It’s sad

Could lose the Championships

Sweden’s position contradicts FIS’s decision that athletes from Russia and Belarus can participate if they sign a neutrality declaration. Now, Swedish officials are warned that they could lose the World Championships in Falun if they refuse to allow approved athletes from these countries to compete.

FIS’s communications chief Bruno Sassi told Swedish Radio that national laws take precedence over FIS decisions. However, FIS owns its own events. When FIS has decided that neutral athletes can participate, they expect that to be respected.

If Sweden fails to comply, FIS may choose to relocate the World Championships in Falun to another country, such as Italy, which has less restrictive entry regulations.

Russians outraged

The statement from Sweden has sparked strong reactions in Russia.

“The rotten Swedes staged a provocation against Russian skiers. Have they gone mad?” This was stated by chief editor Alexandr Govorov in the Russian newspaper Ria Novosti.

He argues that the exclusion has led to a sharp decline in interest in cross-country skiing, severely impacting FIS in terms of lost sponsorship revenue.

Govorov further points out that Lithuania was recently stripped of the World Championships in modern pentathlon after they denied Russian athletes participation. He now warns Sweden that they risk losing the World Championships in Falun.

“This sets a huge precedent for global sports, as previously, Russophobic actions by European countries had largely gone unpunished. Now that everything has changed, Swedish authorities should be on high alert,” he writes.

Read More: Exile, training, and survival: Inside Ukraine’s cross-country ski program

Wave of Russians granted neutral status

Athletes from Russia and Belarus have been banned from international competitions organized by FIS since President Putin waged war on Ukraine in February 2022.

The ban is still in effect, but last December, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that FIS must allow athletes who meet the requirements for neutral status.

However, earlier this fall, FIS adopted new rules that have allowed many more athletes to qualify. So far, over 200 from the two countries have been cleared to participate in international competitions.

See the full list of approved athletes HERE.

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Read More: Former Junior World Champion among the Russians now given the green light by FIS

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