The mayor of Trondheim named Urheilu two conditions that Russia must fulfill in order for the country’s athletes to be able to enter the World Ski Championships in Trondheim in a year.
TRONDHEIM. In recent months, sports organizations have considered their position on whether they will allow Russian athletes to compete in their sports. The International Olympic Committee IOC ruled at the end of last year that sports associations can, if they wish, allow Russians to compete in next summer’s Paris Olympics.
If the Russians meet the conditions listed by the IOC and the sports association gives the green light, the Russian athlete can compete in Paris in the so-called with the status of a neutral athlete, i.e. without country codes.
The discussion has aroused strong emotions. The matter came to the surface again in Trondheim, Norway, where the international sports conference Play The Game started on Sunday. Trondheim will also organize the World Championships of Nordic skiing in a year.
– I have to say this perfectly clearly. As long as Russia continues its attack in Ukraine, there is no point here, said the mayor of Trondheim, who opened the conference Kent Ranum said in an interview with Urheilu.
Ranum extended his demands to sports policy as well.
– In order for the Russians to compete, the country must take responsibility for its doping scandals.
– My opinion is not aimed at individual athletes, but at the culture and country they represent. I strongly believe that it has no place in the World Ski Championships.
Appeal to sponsors
The decision on the Russians’ right to participate in the 2025 World Ski Championships is naturally not up to Ranum. The International Ski Federation FIS, which owns the World Cup event, is primarily responsible for that. In an even greater position is the Norwegian government, which determines the criteria for whether Russians have the right to travel to Norway at all.
Ranum said that he has not discussed his thoughts with either party.
– On behalf of the World Cup host city and its population, I hope that the Norwegian government and the sponsors of the Games will share this message and show it to the FIS as one front, Ranum said.
Russia has been banned from international top sports since 2016. At that time, a state-run doping program was revealed in the country.
The collar has also extended to the Russian National Anti-Doping Agency in Rusada. Its full membership in the international anti-doping community has also been on the shelf for eight years.
However, Russian athletes have been able to appear in the last four Olympics thanks to the neutral status mentioned at the beginning.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, they competed under the so-called Russian flag instead. Under the ANA (Authorized Neutral Athletes) banner. Two years later, the letters OAR (Olympic Athletes of Russia) decorated the flag of Russian athletes at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
In the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and a year later in the Winter Olympics in Beijing, the combination of letters changed to ROC (Russian Olympic Committee athletes).
According to Ranum, the actions of the international sports community have only been cosmetic without any practical effect.
– It doesn’t matter if the Russian competes with a neutral status or in his country’s colors. They are athletes who represent their country. The Russian people consider them their heroes, and the rest of the world also sees them as Russians. There’s no point trying to get around it.