The international sports court CAS has ruled that Russian skiers can compete in the World Cup and Olympics under a neutral flag. Skiing legend Charlotte Kalla, who is strongly critical, calls the decision incredibly wrong. She argues it makes no difference and rather worsens the situation.
On Tuesday, CAS announced that Russia has won its appeal, allowing Russian skiers to participate in international competitions within FIS sports, including cross-country skiing. The ruling overturns the International Ski Federation's ban from 2022, imposed due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Charlotte Kalla, a three-time Olympic gold medalist from Sundsvall, expresses deep surprise and criticism. "Feels incredibly wrong", she says. She had hoped the sports world would stick to the earlier decision. "I hoped that sports could stand strong and stick to the decision they made in 2022", she adds. According to Kalla, permitting participation brings no real change: "It's no difference, rather worse".
The Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK) has no plans for a boycott, a position Kalla describes as sound. She is unsure how she would have reasoned if still active, as the decision is recent. Another Olympic medalist, Vladimir Smirnov from 1994 and residing in Sundsvall, welcomes the ruling and stresses that politics should not affect athletes' participation. Kalla disagrees, especially given the war in Ukraine.
The decision opens the door for Russian athletes in upcoming events like the 2026 Olympics, but sparks debate on sports' role in geopolitical conflicts.