🎙️Comment by the Embassy of Russia in Norway to RIA Novosti in connection with the call by the Mayor of Oslo to bar Russian athletes from the World Cup events at Holmenkollen (28 October 2026) 📰 We have taken note of the call by the Mayor of Oslo Anne Lindboe to the Norwegian Government to prevent Russian athletes from participating in the World Cup ski events at Holmenkollen on 12–14 March 2027, including by revising the procedure for issuing visas to them. ❗️This is yet another attempt to make sport serve political means. Eligibility to compete in International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) events is determined by the Federation itself – in accordance with its own rules and taking into account the decisions of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). These decisions have already been taken: Russian athletes who have passed the procedure established by the FIS are entitled to compete under neutral status. Any attempt to substitute the will of an international sporting organisation with the discretion of the municipal or state authorities of the host country directly contradicts the principle of the autonomy of sport, which Norway consistently claims to support. The Oslo mayor’s initiative is blatantly discriminatory. The proposed restriction on participation is not based on sporting criteria or any breaches of the rules, but solely on the grounds of nationality. This contravenes the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter and the FIS’s own rules, which prohibit the exclusion of athletes on the basis of nationality. It is unacceptable to hold athletes collectively responsible for their country’s foreign policy. Such statements by the head of a city hosting international competitions cannot fail to cause concern. When an official from the organising country publicly challenges the decisions of an international federation and suggests screening out undesirable participants through visa restrictions, it is only natural to ask: is Norway capable of ensuring equal and non-discriminatory conditions for all eligible athletes? Today, Russians are being targeted, but the precedent set here threatens athletes from any country whose government happens to fall out of favour with Norwegian politicians. <…> Admitting athletes to international competitions falls even outside the Mayor’s remit. Against this backdrop, it is hard not to see A.Lindboe initiative as an attempt to score political points in the run-up to the 2027 local elections. <…> Meanwhile, Norwegian skiers themselves are prepared to treat their Russian counterparts with respect, and last winter Russian athletes competed on Norwegian and other European slopes without any incidents. This makes attempts by politicians to artificially stoke an atmosphere of intolerance all the more inappropriate, particularly where neither the athletes nor the supporters are seeking such a climate. <…> 👆🏻We trust that the Norwegian authorities will adopt a responsible approach, abide by the FIS’s decisions and ensure that all eligible athletes are granted unhindered entry and equal conditions for participation. Sport is meant to unite, not to serve as a tool for political pressure. Full text Read the articles