FIS board member Erik Røste confirms to news on Saturday evening that the Russian ban will be maintained. – Athletes from Russia and Belarus are still banned. Nor are we going to appoint any managers from Russia to have referee and technical delegate assignments, says Røste to news. The meeting started at 1.30pm on Saturday afternoon, according to Røste. The board member points out that he is very satisfied with the discussion surrounding the banning of Russian athletes. FIS BOARD MEMBER: Erik Røste. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB – Everyone agreed that we must distance ourselves from the brutality that is happening in Ukraine. Røste nevertheless points out that there was strong disagreement on one point: Further participation of Russian representatives at FIS meetings. – There was no majority for them not to be allowed to participate. The argument was that one wants to discuss future skiing policy where Russians are present. Many of us disagreed with that, but the majority thought they should be like that. The Norwegian Ski Association dropped out of the FIS autumn meetings last month. The reason was that Russian representatives would be allowed to participate. It supports Røste. SPORTS COMMENTATOR: Jan Petter Saltvedt. Photo: ALEM ZEBIC / news – I have been clear about that all along. When we now ban athletes, it must also apply to managers. That has been my principled position on the matter. – Necessary decision The news agency TT reported earlier today that the Russian ban persists. They quoted the Swedish FIS board member, Mats Årjes. – It turned out as expected. Same decision as before, he says. Later on Saturday evening, FIS confirmed the decision in a press release. On Saturday, the board of the International Ski Federation (FIS) met. Among the items on the agenda was the banning of Russian and Belarusian athletes. Røste, who is also a former skiing president of the Norwegian Skiing Association, believed beforehand that the FIS board would not change the ban. – It will also surprise me if the ban is lifted. In any case, my position is very clear, which it has been since February. This is a brutal assault on the Ukrainian people. The sport must therefore also react, and the ban must be maintained, he said earlier this week. news’s sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt believes that the news comes as no surprise. – It was a necessary decision and an expected decision. Eliasch said it almost outright that it was going to be that way. He has clearly made up his mind on behalf of the board, he says. Following the IOC Since 1 March, Russian and Belarusian athletes have not been allowed to participate in events under the auspices of the FIS. The decision came at the time after a lot of pressure and only days before the World Cup races were to be held in Drammen and Holmenkollen. The reason behind it is Russia’s war against neighboring Ukraine. The war started on 24 February. On 28 February, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a recommendation to the specialized international federations not to allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes. According to the FIS board, the recommendation was central to their decision the following day. FIS Secretary General Michel Vion opened in September that athletes from the two countries could return this winter, but added that they would not make such a decision without a “strong recommendation” from the IOC. IOC president Thomas Bach stated three weeks ago that it could be relevant to release Russian and Belarusian athletes if they distanced themselves from the war. Earlier this week, he stated that the measures against Russia and Belarus “must remain in place”. That’s what Inside the Games writes. – We have decided to follow the IOC. The IOC stands for promoting peace through sport, and that is extremely important, said FIS president Johan Eliasch in an interview with SVT on Friday.
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Russian athletes are not allowed to compete this season – reveals internal unrest in closed FIS meeting
