Norway will block Russian athletes from competing in country

Norway has announced plans to block Russian and Belarusian professional athletes from participating in the upcoming cross-country skiing World Cup in Trondheim, following Finland's similar decision. The government explained that it aims to prevent athletes from these nations from entering the country as long as the conflict in Ukraine persists.

While Norway already enforces strict visa rules for Russian and Belarusian citizens, recent relaxations by sports federations could have led to a larger influx of athletes and support staff. The government intends to tighten entry controls, instructing immigration authorities and police to refuse entry to Russian and Belarusian professional athletes and their accompanying staff if they attempt to compete in sporting events.

The changes are set to take effect shortly. The statement emphasized that Russian elite sport is closely tied to Russian authorities and cannot be evaluated independently from the ongoing war in Ukraine. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) permitted Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under certain conditions, including not displaying any country symbols and signing a neutrality declaration. However, the Norwegian government's decision comes despite the athletes having been cleared by FIS.