Russia and Belarus were barred from all FIS events following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The federation is expected to decide on October 21 whether to reinstate athletes from the two countries.
Tiril Udnes Weng, the 2023 World Cup overall winner, said that "Russia is still waging a war it started," Polish state news agency PAP reported.
"I am completely against their return. We do not tolerate this war and would rather not compete against them," she was quoted as saying.
The International Olympic Committee recently said Russian athletes could take part in the 2026 Winter Games in Italy under a neutral flag, leaving the final decision to individual sports federations.
Marit Bjørgen, the eight-time Olympic champion and 18-time world champion who now coaches Norway’s women’s cross-country team, said she believed the federation should not allow Russian athletes to compete as long as the war in Ukraine continues.
“I have no influence over FIS’ decision, but the war has not changed—and neither has Russia,” she said, according to the PAP news agency.
To qualify for the Olympics, Russian skiers would first need to return to the World Cup circuit, which begins on November 28 in Ruka, Finland.
Image by Birgit Roessler from Pixabay
Kristin Austgulen Fosnæs, a 2024 world relay silver medalist from Trondheim, said: “We don’t want them back, knowing how closely the Russian state and sport are connected. It’s hard to talk about neutrality or impartiality. The idea of bringing them back is wrong.”
Last year, the International Skating Union allowed neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete again—a move that drew widespread criticism.
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Source: PAP, sport.tvp.pl