Norway will block Russian athletes from competing in country
The move follows a similar decision by Nordic neighbour Finland, which announced it would block visas for Russian athletes.
Norway has announced plans to block Russian and Belarusian professional athletes from competing in the upcoming cross-country skiing World Cup in Trondheim, citing ongoing tensions due to the war in Ukraine. The government's decision comes just hours after Finland announced a similar restriction. Norway currently has strict visa rules for Russian and Belarusian citizens, but recent relaxations by international sports federations may have allowed more athletes and support staff from these countries to travel to Norway to compete.
The government plans to instruct immigration authorities and police to refuse entry to Russian and Belarusian professional athletes and their support staff if they attempt to participate in sporting events. This decision is expected to take effect shortly. The Norwegian government argues that Russian elite sport is closely tied to Russian authorities and cannot be viewed independently from the war in Ukraine.
Despite having been cleared by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) to compete under certain conditions, such as not displaying country symbols and signing a neutrality declaration, Russian and Belarusian athletes may be barred from competing in Norway.
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