Skiing: Cas’ decision does not guarantee the Russians’ right to compete

Sports on Tuesday, the arbitration court (Cas) overturned the decision of the International Skiing Federation (Fis) on the shelving of Russians and Belarusians in international competitions. Cas accepted competing as neutral athletes.

However, it does not directly mean that athletes from these countries would arrive in droves at the World Cup competitions and other competitions where fis points are distributed for Olympic qualification.

Some of the Russian and Belorussian athletes are ostracized just because they are not “neutral”. Who has liked Russia’s authoritarian president Vladimir Putin lust to take over Ukraine, who otherwise only supported the killing of Ukrainians and who represents the army of Russia or Belarus.

Among other things, some skiers and hill jumpers remain.

Even their participation in the international games is not certain and Cas, Fis or the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cannot influence it in any way.

The reason for this is that each country defines its own entry criteria for foreigners. For example, several European countries, such as Finland or, for example, Norway, have Schengen visas, which are required for entry.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, the movement of Russians and Belarusians to different countries was significantly restricted. For example, the border between Finland and Russia is closed.

However, it does not directly mean that Russian athletes cannot compete in Finland. For example, a Russian plays in Gnistan in Veikkausliiga Yevgeny Bashkirovwho has condemned Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.

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Now the question is, have the Russian Winter Sports athletes been granted a long-term Schengen visa before the tightening?

The reasoning why, for example, the Russians could compete next weekend in Norway’s Trondheim in the World Cup of Skiing or a little over a week later in the Continental Cup hill race in Ruka, can be found in the entry restrictions on Russians.

It is roughly the same in Finland and Norway and reads like this: “Entry from Russia to Finland is possible for persons who are coming to Finland for short-term work, lasting less than 90 days, with a visa.”

Let’s also include Switzerland and Davos, where the skiing World Cup competitions will be held on the 13th and 14th. december Switzerland has just, less than a month ago, tightened visa practices for Russians. A general Schengen visa is no longer valid for Switzerland, but a separate visa must be applied for each entry.

The equivalent is now also in use in other Schengen countries. The background here is the European Union the decision to tighten the entry of Russiansbecause Russia’s hostilities in Ukraine still continue.

Now the question is, have Russian Winter sports athletes been granted a long-term Schengen visa before the tightening? For those who have, then the interpretation is mainly whether participating in ski competitions is considered work. In this case, you must also apply for a permit to enter the country.

If you don’t have a valid visa, you have to apply for it in each Schengen country separately. If cross-country skiing is not considered particularly important, processing the application can easily take several days. For example In Norway it is evaluatedthat the embassy processes the application within 15 days.

If you see Russian skiers in Trondheim, the visa processing has been particularly fast. That would seem like a strange solution. Davos will probably be the first destination for the Russians.