The announcement came after one of the nations that had previously secured an Olympic ticket announced that they were relinquishing their spot. According to the regulations, it would then go to the next country in the ranking – which is Sweden.
Ruud Reitan and Majorov impressed at the qualifying competition in Beijing, where they finished just 0.23 points shy of the fourth place that would have sent Sweden directly to the Olympics.
The Migration Board can put a stop to this
"This is another historic milestone for Swedish figure skating. The fact that we are securing a Swedish Olympic spot in ice dancing for the first time is fantastic. This means a lot for the sport in Sweden and will inspire many young skaters," said Anna Burwall, sports director of the Swedish Figure Skating Federation, in a press release.
But none other than the Swedish Migration Agency can stop the duo's participation in the Olympics. Ruud Reitan is from Norway and lacks Swedish citizenship, which DN was first to report.
Not withdrawn by SOK
This has not been a problem at the European Championships and World Championships, but for the Olympics you must have a passport from the country you represent. Ruud Reitan applied for Swedish citizenship in March this year, and eight months later he is still waiting for a response from the Swedish Migration Board.
Another obstacle for the duo is that the Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK) must choose to select Ruud Reitan and Majorov for an Olympic squad on sporting grounds. A selection by SOK is also not possible until Ruud Reitan is a Swedish citizen, writes DN.
By January
SOK's sports director and squad manager, Fredrik Joulamo, tells the newspaper that Ruud Reitan needs a Swedish passport by the end of January for selection to be possible.
"We are following it very carefully. With the timeline in place, it will be quite tight," Joulamo tells DN and continues:
I know that the figure skating federation has been prepared and done what they could. Milla has done the same, so now it's up to the authorities.
