Even if the FIS, for one reason or another, would allow Russian athletes to participate in the World Cup, Russian athletes may run into a bigger obstacle before getting to the tracks.
Veronika Stepanova has defended Vladimir Putin on social media. EPA / AOP
Earlier this week, it was revealed that the international skiing federation FIS had opened discussions about the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions. of the FIS Michel Vion the German newspaper Bild was the first to tell about it.
Vion considers it possible that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to return to the Games this year at the earliest, albeit without country codes. The comments have created consternation, also in Finland.
On Friday, the Olympic committees of Finland and other Nordic countries took a stand on the subject and condemned the participation of Russians and Belarusians in international competitions.
Although among other things Jelena Välbe The Russian Ski Federation has commented to the Championat magazine that it was satisfied with FIS’s plans, there are also doubters among Russian athletes. The mere right to participate in the competitions does not guarantee a return to the World Cup, as obtaining a visa to the countries organizing the competitions may prove to be impossible.
In Finland too, the visa issue has been discussed a lot in the past week. In particular, the initiative initiated by Russia accelerated the discussion, and it may soon be that Russians will no longer be given the right to obtain a visa to Finland.
The Russian who won gold at the Beijing Olympics last winter Veronika Stepanova told a Norwegian about his visa concerns Dagbladet in the interview.
– The Schengen visa is something that should not be confused with the right to participate in the Games. Some Russians have a visa, some have a residence permit, and some have dual or triple citizenship. There are individual differences in these.
The skier who won relay gold is known to be the president of Russia Vladimir Putin as a supporter.
– If European politicians don’t want a big headache and a bad conscience, they shouldn’t put obstacles for Russian athletes to get a visa.
Russian skiing journalist Dimitri Guberniev was pessimistic about the situation of the Russian athletes and told the Championat magazine that the FIS discussions were a lie.
– Let’s be realistic. No one will let us into the Games. We are not going to the World Cup in Planica. We have to organize our own competitions in Russia. I don’t understand why anyone would be excited about (FIS’s) comments. Everyone who believes that the return will happen, I think, is dreaming or simply stupid, says Guberniev.