PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Russian skiers are completely stopped from competing in the World Cup.
This causes the Russian ski pump Jelena Välbe to react strongly and send out a threat to the outside world.
– It’s getting worse and worse, so why hide it, she says to the Sport 24 site.
It was last Saturday that the final verdict came from the International Ski Federation, Fis. The decision to stop all Russian and Belarusian skaters from the upcoming season of the World Cup stands firm.
Swedish words
President of Russia Vladimir Putin’s terrible warfare against Ukraine therefore continues to have devastating consequences for Russian athletes in the outside world. The Swedish Fis manager Johan Eliasch was the one who had to act as a messenger and delivered the decisive words to Russia and Belarus.
– We have decided to follow the IOC and their recommendations. The IOC and their charter say that we as Olympic sports must “promote” peace through sport and that is very important, Eliasch said at a press conference this weekend.
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Since then, the reactions have been quite strong from Russian skiing profiles who consider themselves to be treated unfairly. The Olympic gold hero Veronika Stepanova directed strong criticism at Fi’s decision.
– It is nothing but hypocrisy, remind me when athletes from Israel or the USA were banned, and for what, said the Russian in an interview with SVT.
READ MORE: The fine words about Frida Karlsson in Norway – now celebrated after the courageous stance: “She doesn’t hide”
Russia’s threat
Now the outspoken president of the Russian Ski Federation is also surrendering Jelena Välbe into the debate and threatens that the decision could have major consequences for skiing as well as all other sports that Russians and Belarusians are stopped from.
– It’s getting worse and worse, so why hide it. This applies not only to skiing, but to all sports. I am not surprised if someone ends their career due to a lack of motivation, she says to the Russian site Sport 24, according to the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.
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However, Välbe does not want to comment on Stepanova’s clear anger and strong opinion about how Russians are treated badly.
– I don’t want to discuss it. I would like to talk about our other athletes, the ski pump said in his statement.
The Swedish threat
Earlier last fall, FI’s general secretary opened Michel Vion up to welcome back Russian and Belarusian skiers again, raising hopes for the nations ahead of the upcoming season. But the statement drew a lot of criticism around the skiing world and several skiers expressed their displeasure with such a decision.
READ MORE: The Olympic gold hero’s rage after the Swede’s decisive words that stop Russia completely: “It’s hypocrisy”
Several high-profile skiers, including many Swedes, then threatened to boycott the ski WC if such a decision were to be made by Fis. Which now the International Ski Federation has not done by clarifying that the suspension still applies for the coming season.
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