Finland bans Russian athletes ahead of skiing World Cup opener
The new rules also cover neutral athletes and could disrupt upcoming international events, including the 2027 figure skating world championships, the International Skating Union said.
- On Thursday, Finland's government announced restrictions preventing Russian athletes from entering the country, including those competing under neutral status, effective Monday, November 16.
- Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen stated, "As Russia's war of aggression continues, Russian athletes have no business coming to Finland," citing threats to international relations.
- The measure applies to athletes competing under neutral status and national teams, potentially impacting the Grand Prix and World Cup; it does not affect this week's NHL games in Helsinki.
- Competitions like the figure skating championships in Tampere, Finland, in March face uncertainty under the new restrictions, while only work deemed essential to national interests remains permitted.
- Finland remains among European teams vowing not to play Russia at upcoming hockey championships, and World Athletics maintains a separate ban on Russian participation ahead of 2030 track championships.
130 Articles
130 Articles
Finland and Norway announced on Thursday that they would prohibit Russian athletes from entering their territory to compete as long as the war in Ukraine continues. ...
Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that the government will now ban Russian athletes from entering its territory as a result of Russia's war in Ukraine. "As long as Russia's war of aggression continues, Russian athletes have no business in Finland," said Elina Valtonen, Foreign Minister of ...
Both countries announced this Thursday, 12 November, that they want to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from taking part in competitions on their territory, and urge other European nations to do the same.
Russian high-level sport has close ties with the authorities and therefore cannot be "considered independently" of the war in Ukraine, the Norwegian government justifies.
Radio France Internationale
Finland, Norway block visas for Russian athletes
Hours later, Norway announced that it would prevent professional Russian and Belarusian sportspeople from competing on its territory. Finland is preparing to host the Figure Skating World Championships in the city of Tampere in March 2027, and the International Skating Union (ISU) said in a statement it was "studying" the implications of the decision. The Finnish government issued a resolution that tightened restrictions for Russians applying fo…
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