Sweden wants to block Russian athletes from competing in country

Representative Image: Sweden will host the Nordic Ski World Championships in Falun in February, with the government moving to deny Russian athletes entry ahead of the event. | Photo Credit: AFP

Stockholm has announced plans to stop Russian athletes from taking part in sporting events held in Sweden, the government said on Friday. The move follows similar steps by neighbouring Finland and Norway.

The country is getting ready to host the Nordic Ski World Championships in Falun, which begin in February. Social Affairs and Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed told AFP: “Fundamentally, our view is that we do not want Russian athletes on Swedish soil in international competitions, as this is a way for Russia and Putin to exploit the situation for propaganda purposes and it contributes to normalising the war,”

He said the government was working on a “solution where we deny Russian athletes entry to Sweden”, which would be presented “in the near future”. However, he said the measure would be in place before the Nordic Ski World Championships began.

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The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) allows Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under certain conditions, including a ban on showing any country symbols. The Swedish Ski Association has said it disagrees with FIS but will follow its decision.

Finland and Norway each presented measures on Thursday to keep Russian athletes from competing on their soil.

After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, several international sports bodies barred Russian athletes, though some have since begun relaxing those restrictions.

“The problem has been accentuated by a number of decisions taken by international federations, which make the issue more urgent for states to deal with,” Forssmed said.

He added: “Russian sport is deeply entwined with the Russian state authorities,” meaning sports could not be separated from the actions of the Russian state.

On October 30, a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling paved the way for Russia’s men’s and women’s ice hockey teams to return to next year’s world championships.

On the same day, Sweden’s government urged the European Union to tighten visa rules for athletes representing Russia and Belarus. Stockholm argued that their participation in sporting events should not be normalised while the war in Ukraine continues.