Only two of those approved by FIS as "neutral athletes" are cross-country skiers. 22-year-old Savelij Korostelyov won both gold and silver individually at the 2022 Junior World Championships. 23-year-old Darja Neprjaeva, younger sister of Natalja Terentieva (three-time Olympic medalist in 2022), won a gold at the same World Championships and, like Korostelyov, has been given the go-ahead to compete in this weekend's World Cup competitions in Davos, Switzerland.
This way they also have the opportunity to qualify for the Olympics in February.
“Got a deer”
Sprint relay, sprint and 10 kilometer interval start are on the schedule Friday–Sunday in Davos.
One who has previously faced Korosteljov is Edvin Anger. The Swedish national team member participated in the 2022 Junior World Championships and then had no chance against the Russian in the distance races.
I got a kick out of him. In and of itself, I rode miserably badly, but it was actually extremely good how he was, Anger told Expressen earlier this week.
Demand for neutrality
The opportunity for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete internationally again was opened when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) recently overturned FIS's decision to exclude all participants from Russia and Belarus - a suspension that has been in place since Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine began in the spring of 2022.
However, only individual athletes are eligible – no teams are allowed – and there is a neutrality requirement. The athletes must not have actively supported the war, nor have any connections to the Russian or Belarusian military. They must also have been available for doping tests.
Among the other approved athletes are freeskiing star Anastasia Tatalina, who won World Cup gold in big air in 2021 and became Olympic four in slopestyle in 2022, as well as freestyle skier Hanna Huskova from Belarus, who has an Olympic gold medal (2018) and an Olympic silver medal (2022) in jumping.
Lasse Mannheimer/TT
Facts: Russians and Belarusians allowed to compete in the World Cup
TT
Saveliy Korosteljov, Russia, cross-country skiing.
Darya Neprjaeva, Russia, cross-country skiing.
Anastasia Tatalina, Russia, freeskiing.
Marija Shkanova, Belarus, alpine.
Anna Derugo, Belarus, freestyle.
Hanna Huskova, Belarus, freestyle.
Anastasia Andryjanava, Belarus, freestyle.
Ihar Drabiankou, Belarus, freestyle.
Uladzislau Vazniuk, Belarus, freestyle.
