Winter sports: The letter that could decide if Russian athletes may compete again

FIS, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, will decide on Tuesday whether to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the coming season.

Ahead of the decision, FIS sent a long letter with an attached survey to its member national federations. Russia’s athletes have been suspended since 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine, but a change may be coming after the IOC encouraged FIS last month to admit Russian and Belarusian competitors under a neutral flag.

The matter was discussed at the most recent FIS Council meeting, which deferred a final decision to the next meeting. In the letter seen by NRK and SVT, FIS stresses that its statutes require the federation to conduct its activities in a politically neutral manner. It adds that no athlete chose where they were born and that athletes should not be weaponized for political purposes.

The survey asks federations whether FIS should allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in Olympic and Paralympic qualification events as individual, neutral athletes in line with IOC rules.

Sweden’s position remains unchanged. “Sweden has not changed its view; we stand by our long‑held position—and the one FIS currently has—that we oppose Russian and Belarusian athletes participating in international competitions,” Swedish Ski Association secretary‑general Pernilla Bonde tells SVT. She expects Tuesday’s outcome to mirror the last meeting but notes that nothing is guaranteed.

To be classified as neutral, athletes must meet anti‑doping testing requirements and must not have expressed support for Russia’s war on Ukraine or be tied to the Russian military. This puts the neutral status of several leading Russian stars in doubt, as some hold military ranks or have publicly backed the war. Notably, Aleksandr Bolshunov holds a captain’s rank in the Russian National Guard and attended the 2022 celebration at Luzhniki Stadium marking the annexation of Crimea.

SVT and NRK have requested comment from FIS.