The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (Fis) must now allow athletes from the countries to compete internationally in their sports. This way, the athletes will have the opportunity to qualify for the Olympics in Italy in February.
"We think it's unfortunate. We have always had the opinion that Russian and Belarusian skiers should not be allowed to participate as long as the war in Ukraine continues," says the Swedish Ski Association's general secretary Pernilla Bonde to TT.
"We have had some contact with Fis but have not received much information. They will get back to us," she continues.
Demand for neutrality
The athletes must meet the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) requirements for neutrality. The athletes must not have actively supported the war in Ukraine or have connections to the Russian or Belarusian military.
In October, the FIS board decided to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition and thus the Olympics. This was effectively an extension of a previous suspension, which has been in place since Russia's invasion war in Ukraine began in February 2022.
For me it is both a relief and a pride, said Karin Mattsson, who sits on the Fis board, to TT at the time.
The decision was appealed to CAS by the federations in both Russia and Belarus, who have now ruled in favor of the countries.
CAS writes in a press release that the arbitration court has concluded that “the FIS statutes protect individuals from discrimination and that FIS should be politically neutral.” As a result, the countries' appeal is partially upheld because the FIS decision excludes all athletes solely on the basis of their nationality and without taking into account whether the athletes meet the requirement of neutrality, CAS writes.
17 athletes
The appeal involved a total of 17 athletes from both countries. Twelve of them are from Russia, of which six are para athletes. These are athletes in more sports than just cross-country skiing. The FIS umbrella also includes alpine skiing, snowboarding and ski jumping.
"We need some time to find out what happens next. The CAS decision affects several athletes from different FIS disciplines, and we do not yet know what practical consequences it will have for participation in competitions before the Olympics," says Tove Moe Dyrhaug, chairwoman of the Norwegian Ski Association, in a press release.
