Swedish journalist Thomas Petterson on a podcast Faster Skier He expressed his opinion that skiers from Russia will return to international competitions next season.
According to the journalist, cross-country skiing looks boring without Russian athletes. According to him, the competition with the Russians would be more exciting.
“The head of FIS is Swedish Johan Eliash, who has always been friendly towards Russia. They will follow the instructions of the IOC and open the door to Russia. Ready to put your house on it. It does not matter whether the conflict ends in Ukraine. Money is everything,” Patterson said.
Recall that the International Ski Federation (FIS) decided to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions until the end of last season, and then extended the sanctions. The Russians missed the final stages of the 2021/22 World Cup. Also, Russian skiers are not taking part in the new season 2022/23, but they are focusing on local starts.
At the end of January, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) considered the return of the Russians as neutral athletes.
Former Swedish skier William Poroma she made a jokethat because of their dominance in international competitions, Norwegian skiers should be suspended, as was done to Russian athletes.