Finnish FIS board member: No well-known Russian skiers on the neutral athletes list

Finnish member of the International Ski Federation (FIS) Council Martti Uusitalo said he was not surprised by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision that neutral Russian and Belarusian athletes should be admitted to competitions under FIS. The ruling would apply to events such as FIS races, World Cup competitions, and the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

According to Uusitalo, the number of athletes cleared to compete as neutrals in the Nordic skiing disciplines is very small, and the Olympic quota for Russia in cross-country skiing would be tiny—at present, he understands it would be only one place for women and one for men. He emphasized that if the IOC pushes for neutral participation at the Olympics, there must also be a mechanism to allow those athletes to qualify and enter.

Uusitalo said FIS already has a list of Russian and Belarusian athletes assessed for neutral status, compiled similarly to the lists used for the Paris Summer Olympics. Based on his current information, none of the well-known Russian stars are on that list. For example, Russia’s leading cross-country skier Alexander Bolshunov is reportedly not included. Uusitalo pointed out that several Russian medalists from the Beijing 2022 Olympics were later awarded military decorations, which implies a connection to the armed forces and therefore disqualifies them from meeting neutrality criteria.

The article notes that the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will be broadcast by Yle from 6–22 February 2026, and links to related Yle coverage analyzing the decision and the anti-doping testing of Russian skiers during the ban period.