Cross-country: Mika Vermeulen on meeting Russian skiers in Austria: “Fuck off”

Several Russian cross-country skiers are training in Ramsau, Austria, as they await clarity on whether they will be allowed to attempt qualification for the Milano–Cortina 2026 Olympics.

Austria’s top male cross-country skier, Mika Vermeulen, is training at the same venue. In the podcast “Skirious Problems,” as cited by Expressen, Vermeulen said it was nice to meet some of the Russian athletes again. He noted that many younger Russians have a different attitude to the West than their country’s leadership, speak good English, and can be enjoyable company.

However, he found other encounters troubling. Vermeulen singled out Veronica Stepanova, one of the most vocal supporters of President Vladimir Putin after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “It was very uncomfortable to stand next to a person like Veronica Stepanova,” he said. “She’s here while publicly standing up for Putin. It feels so wrong. Then I just feel: ‘Fuck off.’”

The comment comes as FIS was due to decide on Tuesday whether Russian and Belarusian cross-country skiers would be permitted to seek Olympic qualification. The question has divided the skiing world, with several national federations—among them Sweden, Norway, and Finland—opposing a return for the two nations.