Olympic champion Veronika Stepanova expressed her opinion on the exclusion of Russians from international competitions. She claims that this will negatively affect rankings, incomes, and the future of skiing.
“They think they are punishing us, but in reality, they are punishing themselves. Rankings, incomes, and most importantly, the future of skiing will suffer; no one will win,” the athlete stated.
Stepanova also expressed hope that the President of the International Ski Federation, Mattias Eliash, will implement reforms that will improve the situation. She is confident that their paths will cross in the renewed World Cup.
The Council of the International Ski Federation decided not to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to qualify for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2026. FIS reserves the right to decide who can participate in the competitions.
“The FIS Council voted against allowing athletes in individual neutral status (AIN) to qualify for the Olympics and Paralympics in Milan in 2026,” FIS reported.
This decision was made in connection with the incident involving Russian figure skater Daniil Naidenishev and his connections with the Russian occupier Mikhail Lebedev.