The International Ski Federation FIS decided on Tuesday to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2026 Olympics in Milano-Cortina. The decision followed a board vote and applies to all FIS disciplines. Swedish voices welcome it as ethically necessary.
On the evening of October 21, 2025, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation FIS announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes are barred from qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. The decision covers cross-country skiing, alpine, ski cross, snowboarding, Nordic combined, and ski jumping, as well as the Paralympics. The board voted against allowing participation as neutral athletes, excluding team events, despite efforts by president Johan Eliasch to lobby national federations over the past week.
SVT expert Anders Blomquist calls the decision the only ethically defensible one. “They (Russia) are not even close to qualifying for a sporting community,” he says. Swedish board member Karin Mattsson is relieved: “I am relieved and proud that we stand firm in our stance.” She stresses the issue is straightforward and that Putin and Belarus president Lukashenko have politicized sports. “Both Putin and Lukashenko have used sports for so many years, and she herself is a very good example,” Mattsson says about Russian star Veronika Stepanova.
Stepanova reacts strongly: “Vladimir Putin is my president, and my country is always right. If that's the reason some dubious, nameless characters won't let me compete internationally... Well, that's a price I'm ready to pay.” She accuses FIS of political bias and suggests barring Israelis and Trump supporters too. The Russian Ski Federation expresses deep disappointment over the further disqualification.
Swedish skier Calle Halfvarsson sticks to his position: “As long as there is war, there should be closed doors. Nothing has changed, the war is still ongoing.” Norwegian expert Petter Skinstad criticizes Eliasch: “Dictators don't belong anywhere.” Other winter sports vary: speed skating and ski mountaineering allow participation, while curling, ice hockey, and biathlon say no.