– In my opinion, the ban should not only apply to the athletes, writes FIS board member and former skiing president Erik Røste in a message to news. On Wednesday, it became known that the Norwegian Skiing Association is dropping out of participating in the FIS meetings in Switzerland this week, as a result of Russian representatives taking part. Røste is clear that the ban should not only apply to athletes, and believes his views on the matter have not changed. – My position on the brutal assault on Ukraine and the Ukrainian people is well known. I have been crystal clear that it is completely extraordinary and requires extraordinary measures. I therefore worked very actively for Russian and Belarus exclusion in March. Nothing has changed my view. He further points out: – My position is that the ban should also apply to official representatives. FIS MEMBER: Erik Røste. Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB Changed opinion Earlier today, the Norwegian Ski Association issued a press release with the title: “This week it is ready for the first physical autumn meeting of the FIS in three years.” Shortly afterwards, the plans were scrapped. It was VG who mentioned the news first. The Ski Association came out on Wednesday evening with a new press release explaining the election. They write that the stance in favor of Russian exclusion must also apply to representatives at political and administrative level. SKIP PRESIDENT: Tove Moe Dyrhaug. Photo: Ole Martin Wold / NTB – The Ski Board has decided to strongly condemn Russian participation in the FIS meetings. The ski board has also decided to withdraw all Norwegian representatives from meetings in Zurich where Russian or Belarusian representatives are present, says ski president Tove Moe Dyrhaug. news has asked Jelena Välbe – who is in place in Zurich – questions about Norway’s decision to drop the meetings as a result of Russian participation. She says they are ready to talk to anyone, but do not want to take a position on the decision from the Norwegian Ski Association. – I have not reacted to the Norwegian association’s statements for a long time. On a general basis, sport for me has always been sport, and not politics, she replies. Välbe does not want to respond to the statements of Røste, who expressed before the FIS re-election earlier this year, that he did not want the Russian skiing president on the FIS board. She was not re-elected either. IN PLACE: Välbe, along with several Russians, will attend the FIS meetings in Zurich this week. Photo: CARL SANDIN / BILDBYRÅN – Clearer position There will be over 60 different FIS meetings and seminars during the week in Zurich. Just under 30 Norwegian participants were originally supposed to have taken part in Switzerland. news commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt believes the decision is high time. – There has been a new board in the Norwegian Skiing Association and they have obviously decided to take a clearer position and a harder line in these contexts. Saltvedt continues: – It is a clarity that is even more important when rumors begin to circulate that the IOC and FIS management are considering a rapprochement with Belarus and Russia. The FIS board has announced that on 22 October it will make a decision regarding Russian and Belarusian participation in competitions next winter. news has tried to get a comment from FIS’s media department, but has so far been unsuccessful. They gave the following answer to VG earlier today. “The current FIS policy regarding Russian and Belarusian participation does not apply to representatives, but only to athletes in competition. Therefore, all participants in FIS’ committees are authorized to participate in the meetings”
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Jelana Välbe will not respond to Norway’s demands – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
