Ex-national team skier Martti Jylhä, who represents athletes on the FIS board, wants the final event of the cross-country skiing world cup away from Russia.
Impressive as a sports representative on the board of the International Ski Federation FIS Martti Jylhä defends the opinion that the final event of the World Ski Cup should not be held in Tyumen, Russia, from 18 to 20 March.
Underlying this is a tense and tense world political situation in which Russia has brought a huge number of troops to the Ukrainian border and threatened the country with hostilities.
– In this political climate, I do not think it is good for the FIS to close one’s eyes and do nothing. This is a difficult situation for sports organizations that mainly do sports. However, there are situations where these two things cannot be separated, Jylhä explains to Urheil.
Jylhä has already received the first answer from the Secretary General of the FIS From Michel Vionaccording to which the government will meet in the near future to discuss the burning issue as soon as possible.
– The government takes this seriously. The Secretary-General is a Frenchman who has already been in contact with his country’s Minister of Sport. It’s great to see that this topic has been discussed before I started, Jylhä says.
There is less than a month to culminate in the World Cup of Skiing.
– The goal would be to have the finals somewhere, but not in Russia. The further this thing goes, the more difficult it will be to move the race. Then the option may be to cancel the competition, Jylhä thinks.
Jylhä seeks responsibility from decision-makers
Jylhä understands that athletes have a general attitude that they do not want to confuse sports and politics.
– Decision-makers should be responsible and make choices that competitions are always held in places where there is no need to answer such questions.
Jylhä emphasizes that his job is precisely to bring out public opinion (to the FIS).
– It doesn’t matter as much as I think. The most important thing for me is that the athletes agree in large numbers, and that is the message I am passing on to the FIS board.
– Everyone has a slightly divided opinion. Of course, the athlete would always like to compete and that the World Cup would be a worthy decision. However, the general atmosphere has been (for athletes) that in such a situation one would not go to compete in Russia, Jylhä piles up.