– I don’t think anything of wanting Russia and Belarus into the Olympic heat regardless of what the situation is over there, says biathlete Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen to news. – I don’t understand that the discussion is coming up now, says cross-country skier Pål Golberg to news. Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Thursday asked the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and other sports organizations to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes until the war in Ukraine is over. It comes after the IOC discussed the possibility of Russian and Belarusian athletes being able to participate with a neutral flag. – There has been no change in the conflict in Ukraine, so I don’t quite understand that Russia or Belarus should be able to participate again, says biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid to news. Willing to boycott Going so far as to boycott the championship if Russians and Belarusians are allowed to participate, Lægreid believes it is too early to talk about, but teammate Christiansen says he would join a boycott of the World Cup in 2024. – Such is the situation is now, I would probably have been willing to boycott, if the situation was as it is now, he says to news. SUPPORTS BOYCOTT: Cross-country skier Pål Golberg. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB The Swedish cross-country skier Linn Svahn has been clear that she will not compete in Planica if Russians and Belarusians were to participate there. Pål Golberg would not start either if something like that happened. – I can say it here and now, but it is so difficult to think that way of thinking, because I have faith that they will think further than they might have done in that discussion here next time, says Golberg to news. Tarjei Bø describes a boycott as “a very big thing”, but is open to it together as a nation. – Nationwide boycott is perhaps something we should consider in Norway. It is important to speak up. At least one thing is certain: I have no wish for them to come back to compete before the war is over, says Tarjei Bø to news. The biathlete is supported by the alpine set Henrik Kristoffersen, who points out that the choice is better to make collectively. COLLECTIVE: Kristoffersen wants a possible boycott to be decided on a level between the athletes. Photo: ERWIN SCHERIAU / AFP – I would not put that choice on individual athletes. It puts individual athletes in a very difficult situation, based on what the rest are doing. It is better to make that choice collectively. I think you should stop asking individual athletes, and that it should rather be decided on a level above us, he says to news. Counting on support from 40 countries Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold sits on the athletes’ committee for the biathletes together with Sebastian Samuelsson, who was one of those who spoke against Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen on Tuesday. Jakobsen, who is the head of the Norwegian athletes’ committee, advocated that the majority of the athletes’ representatives wanted Russian and Belarusian athletes back in international sport. – We would have liked to have all the athletes at the start, but I think it is very naive to think that you can separate sport and politics 100 per cent, says Tandrevold. – Would you be willing to boycott a championship? – It is very difficult to imagine that you will boycott a race, but at the same time this is so serious that you have to take it seriously and consider these things here, she says. Poland’s deputy foreign minister is very clear on what will happen if athletes from Russia and Belarus are allowed to participate in the championships: – Then we just have to boycott the games. We have to put pressure on the IOC, Paweł Jabłoński told polsatsport.pl. The country’s Sports Minister Kamil Bortniczuk believes they will get a lot of support in their initiative to exclude Russia from championships from as many as 40 countries. – I think that next week we will see a very clear attitude from these 40 countries that will see the light of day, he told Polish TV.
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Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen and Pål Golberg will boycott the World Cup if Russia is allowed to participate – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
