Will the International Federation soon invite Bolshunov to the World Cup? FIS has made changes to the admission criteria for Russians, which has greatly encouraged our skiers. RIA Novosti explains what they are up to in world skiing.
Are CSKA and Dynamo recognized?
Until recently, athletes who were members of organizations affiliated with law enforcement agencies could not, in principle, obtain neutral status. Just belonging to CSKA or Dynamo closed the way to international competitions. The rules now state that athletes must not be associated with the armed forces or national security agencies of Russia and Belarus. Mere membership in these organizations is no longer grounds for denial of neutral status. However, it is clarified that athletes, coaches and team personnel who have entered into a contract with the armed forces or the Russian National Guard cannot take part in competitions under the auspices of the FIS.
Back in early September, Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev pleased with the news that the first decision had been made on the road map for the return of our skiers. Currently in neutral status. The FIS Council decided that Russian and Belarusian athletes can be allowed to compete provided they sign a declaration of neutrality. Compliance with the principles of neutrality established by the FIS will be constantly monitored, and if they are violated, sanctions will be applied to athletes.
In June, Liechtenstein lawyer Alexander Ospelt was elected as the new president of FIS. The previous head of the international federation, Swede Johan Elias, quite often spoke about the need for the Russians to return, but was forced to take into account the sentiments of the Scandinavian countries that dominate the FIS. It is no coincidence that in the elections, where he lost only one vote to Ospelt, Norway and Finland, who were most determined to maintain the ban for Russian skiers, voted for him.
They didn’t even check Bolshunov?
The new head of the Russian Ski and Snowboard Federation, Dmitry Svishchev, together with Degtyarev, immediately began a fairly constructive dialogue with the new FIS boss. In early September, the international federation announced that Russians and Belarusians this season will be allowed to compete in a neutral status after appropriate verification. Moreover, the costs of two thousand Swiss francs for such a check are borne by the athlete himself, the coach or a representative of the service personnel.
Applications for participation in competitions under the auspices of the FIS must be submitted no later than December 15th. The list of athletes who have been assigned neutral status is published on the official website of the federation. Marks indicating the deprivation of such status also appear there. Until today, simply belonging to CSKA or Dynamo automatically deprived even the right to admission.
It was denied to the current Russian Cup holder Sergei Ardashev. The skier himself said that the documents he received did not indicate the reason, but it lay on the surface: Ardashev represents CSKA and has the military rank of ensign. The refusal to assign neutral status to Russian Cup winner Alina Pekletsova was also associated with her performances for CSKA. In December last year, Bolshunov received a refusal.
In an interview with RIA Novosti, the three-time Olympic champion commented on the situation as follows: “You send an application and immediately receive a refusal. Essentially, without checks, without everything, within one day. My name is enough. If there was a commission and some kind of check, they would consider it for at least two or three days. It’s clear that nothing was checked.”
Even before the announcement of the most important decision of the FIS, the senior coach of the Russian national team, Yuri Borodavko, argued that in order to obtain neutral status it is necessary to resign from CSKA, and emphasized that the athlete himself must make such a decision. And even now Borodavko says that legal clarification is needed from the FIS.
In general, the interpretation of status itself is a separate issue. A clear example is the decision of the ISU, which first granted neutral status to Kamila Valieva and Mark Kondratyuk, and then took it away. It is too early to assume that Bolshunov will soon clash with the Norwegians on the ski track. The new conditions may not be enough to admit the three-time Olympic champion. Reputable Norwegian journalist Jan Petter Saltvedt told RIA Novosti about this. Although he noted that he expected more stringent requirements for granting neutral status.
Swedish journalist Ludwig Swann also spoke out about the latest decisions of the FIS: “FIS has finally brought some clarity to the situation,” he emphasized. “I think that the conditions look fair. Now we will see more Russian skiers, but athletes who are closely associated with the military conflict will still not be allowed in. In my opinion, this is logical.”
