How many Russian skiers have been tested for doping in recent seasons – Yle obtains FIS testing figures

The International Ski Federation (FIS) responded to Yle Urheilu’s information request regarding doping testing of Russian skiers.

According to documents provided by FIS, Russian cross‑country skiers have made up 13.9% of all FIS‑commissioned out‑of‑competition tests over the last two seasons. In absolute terms, FIS oversaw 368 tests on Russian cross‑country skiers out of a total of 2,641 tests conducted for cross‑country athletes.

Yle requested the data after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decided that Russian and Belarusian athletes who meet the criteria to compete as neutrals should be allowed into FIS events. Russian and Belarusian athletes last appeared in FIS competitions at the end of February 2022; they were then excluded due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The aim of the request was to clarify the anti‑doping scrutiny Russians have faced while excluded from competition.

Context and test pool: - Russia’s anti‑doping agency (RUSADA) and the Moscow anti‑doping laboratory lost WADA accreditation in the last decade for protecting a systemic doping program. Because Belarus is a small ski nation, Yle focused on Russia’s figures. - FIS targets its out‑of‑competition testing to athletes in its registered testing pool (RTP). The current RTP lists 22 Russian cross‑country skiers, alongside 16 Norwegians, 11 Swedes, and 8 Finns. Numbers reflect athlete level and the reliability of national anti‑doping structures. - A simple average would equate 368 Russian tests across 22 athletes to about 16.7 tests per athlete over two seasons (a little over eight per season), acknowledging that actual distribution is uneven and top athletes are tested more frequently.

Types of tests and logistics: - The most common test types for Russians were urine and blood‑passport (ABP) tests, mirroring overall FIS out‑of‑competition testing patterns. The third‑largest category involved Erythropoiesis‑Stimulating Agents (ESAs), which affect red‑blood‑cell production. - FIS stated it uses two international sample‑collection providers, including Germany’s PWC. Samples were analyzed primarily at WADA‑accredited laboratories in Istanbul and Cologne. - FIS emphasized that the total testing picture depends on the activity of national anti‑doping organizations in addition to FIS‑commissioned tests. In an emailed response via communications director Bruno Sassi, FIS said Russian testing volumes have remained stable for several years and that FIS has made significant efforts to ensure testing continuity in Russia.

Sanctions since 2022: - FIS public records show eight athletes have been sanctioned for anti‑doping rule violations since the full‑scale war began in February 2022. Three of them are Russian, but none are cross‑country skiers; their violations concerned whereabouts failures.

Overall, the data indicates that, despite exclusion from FIS competitions, Russian cross‑country skiers have continued to be subject to substantial out‑of‑competition testing commissioned by FIS.