Poland's MFA bars Russian ski jumpers from Zakopane despite neutral status

Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has confirmed that Russian ski jumpers Daniil Sadreyev and Mikhail Nazarov will not be permitted to enter Zakopane to compete, even though the International Ski Federation (FIS) granted them neutral status for this season. The MFA statement, relayed to Polskie Radio 24, cites a 19 September 2022 amendment to the interior ministry regulation that restricts border crossings for Russian citizens and does not list participants in sporting events among the permitted categories.

FIS had previously allowed Sadreyev and Nazarov to compete under a neutral flag, and questions arose about whether they would appear at events such as the Four Hills Tournament and the upcoming competitions in Zakopane. The MFA response says that because Russian citizens are unable to cross the Polish border under the current rules, there is no basis to accept visa applications for them, effectively ruling out their participation in Zakopane.

The article notes the decision resolves earlier uncertainty about the Russian jumpers’ possible starts and quotes the MFA’s explicit wording that those categories of Russian nationals allowed to enter Poland do not include competitors in sporting events. The piece was prepared by Maciej Skorupa and published on 2 January 2026.