According to Vesa Rosendahl, president of the skating association, the sports association was not aware that the Russians were being allowed into the Olympic qualifiers.
During December, two international sports federations have decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in international arenas as neutral athletes.
First the door was opened by the International Swimming Federation, which allowed 27 Russians and five Belarusians to participate in the World Championships in Budapest as neutral athletes. The most recent decision was made by the International Skating Union ISU.
According to the decision, figure skaters, speed skaters and rink speed skaters can participate in the Olympic qualifiers and thus aim for a place in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Chairman of the Skating Union Vesa Rosendahl was surprised by ISU’s recent decision. According to Rosendahl, the sports association was not aware that the matter was pending. For example, in the summer at the ISU congress, the issue was not revealed in any way.
– I am very surprised and saddened that such a decision has been made. Nothing has changed and I don’t think the time is ripe for Russian athletes to be included in next winter’s Olympics, says Rosendahl.
Rosendahl does not know why ISU decided to change its position.
– Has there been any pressure in this direction from the International Olympic Committee, but as far as I can tell, the international sports federation has not been forced to make such a decision. I don’t know why the position has now been changed and such a decision made.
Figure Skating Association and a member of the ISU board Susanna Rahkamo did not want to comment on the matter to Urheilu.
“We wouldn’t want to slack off”
Chairman of the Finnish Olympic Committee Petteri Kilpinen can see that there can be many things behind the change. He raises the possibility of both lobbying and war fatigue.
– Is there general war fatigue behind this? Let’s think that the world goes on, and there is no need to talk about war every day. I believe that there is also a lot of lobbying work, Kilpinen tells Urheilu.
However, in Kilpinen’s opinion, nothing has changed since the Russians and Belarusians were banned from international games due to the Russian invasion.
– We have once been part of a broad front in making the decision that we exclude Russian athletes. After all, nothing has happened here, why this should be thoroughly rejected.
– The Nordic countries certainly have a unified vision and we have maintained this most clearly. We wouldn’t want to loosen it in any way.
Even the swimsuit was surprising
Recently, the decision of the International Swimming Federation also came as a surprise, and the president of the Swimming Federation could not stand the board’s process Ville Riekkinen including daylight. According to Riekkinen, the government made the decision without communicating to the national unions.
– They probably did it precisely because they were afraid of so much opposition to the matter, says Kilpinen.
In your opinion, would such matters require a wider vote than for the union’s board to decide on the matter?
– Yes, as a sports community, we should stick together in these matters. However, sport has power and that’s why these decisions have been made, that it would contribute to peace in the world. However, the Olympic Committee is one of the world’s largest peace movements.
Lobbying behind the scenes
Kilpinen has no information that other international sports federations are currently making similar decisions. However, he believes that influence and lobbying regarding the issue is done behind the scenes.
– Of course, there are also Russian sports influencers outside Russia’s borders, and of course quite a few have deep pockets. You can never tell. I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.