Anything but a surprise. The Executive Committee of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), meeting this week, decided to extend the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions. They had been excluded since March 2022 due to the military offensive in Ukraine. “The current position of the FIS, which prohibits the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in FIS events, will remain in force until further notice,” explains the body in a press release. As a result, skiers, cross-country skiers and snowboarders from both countries will have another season away from the World Cup circuits. The decision affects cross-country skiing in particular, where Russia was until its suspension the only nation capable of challenging the domination of Sweden and Norway. The FIS decision comes just a few days before the opening of the Alpine Skiing World Cup, scheduled for this weekend in Sölden, Austria.
