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Russian athletes may soon be back in competition again.
It has aroused really strong reactions around the world – and in Sweden.
“Should Russian athletes be allowed to compete again? Of course not”, columnist Karin Bergkvist now writes in a clear criticism at Gefle Dagblad.
The Biathlon World Cup has started and soon it will also be time for the Ski World Cup. Two big ski parties that attract enormous attention and where both Russian and Belarusian skiers have been completely ported.
Swedish criticism
But soon the athletes can return to the world stage again, even though Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to wreak havoc. The International Olympic Committee, IOC, recently announced that the ported athletes may be allowed to return to the 2024 and 2026 Olympics to compete under a neutral flag.
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Which has caused strong reactions on Swedish soil.
“Now the Swedish Skiing Association fears that this will mean that Russian skiers can be back in the World Cup already next season. From the Swedish side, the line is clear: The sanctions against Russia and Belarus should remain in place,” writes the columnist Karin Bergkvist in a critical statement in Gefle Dagblad and clearly states:
“Should Russian athletes be allowed to compete again? Obviously not!”
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Risk of boycott
Swedish national team skater who Lynn Svahn and Jens Burman has opened for a boycott if Russian and Belarusian skiers return to skiing soon. The International Ski Federation, Fis, already opened in October that the gated skiers can soon be allowed back in.
“Hopefully, it will not have to go so far that the athletes themselves are forced to pause their careers to do the work that the international sports federations should be doing. Sweden, Norway and Finland are working for Fis to hold the line regarding Russian and Belarusian participation, and they undeniably have plenty of arguments. Their names include Ebba Andersson, Frida Karlsson, Linn Svahn, Calle Halfvarsson, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, Emil Iversen, Ingvild Flugstad Østberg, Krista Pärmäkoski, Ivo Niskanen and a long line of other big stars. It wouldn’t be a fun competition if all of these would choose to step down, although of course the issue is bigger than that,” writes Bergkvist in his column for the local newspaper.
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Ukraine continues to be heavily victimized and attacked by Russia with the president Vladimir Putin at the head. Some Ukrainian cross-country skiers and biathletes have been allowed to continue competing, while many have been recalled to Ukraine to defend their homeland.
“They must avoid meeting skaters such as Veronika Stepanova or Alexander Bolshunov, Russian skaters who willingly made themselves part of Putin’s propaganda apparatus. It does not disappear because they compete under a “neutral flag”. Putin is fond of rubbing shoulders with Russian sports stars to boost the image of himself and the regime. Lifting the competition bans would be a way to help the Russian propaganda apparatus,” writes columnist Karin Bergkvist and puts her foot down.
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