Norway must put hard against hard
Norway should stay out of international competitions if the International Ski Federation (FIS) lands on a soft line over Russia.
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We have probably only started the chaos surrounding Russia’s position in skiing this winter. Let’s hope that it won’t be necessary, but it might be wise for the Norwegian Ski Association to prepare the grounds for giving the ski peaks an ultimatum.
Us or them.
Once a principled position has been taken that a war of invasion against another (sporting) nation is not compatible with being allowed to participate in skiing, it must also be enforced if it hurts sportingly and financially.
Therefore, it will be very interesting to see international skiing against Russian interests as the season approaches.
It was not very reassuring to hear General Secretary Michel Vion state that it seems more and more likely to have one Russian return during the winter.
Some have claimed that he was misinterpreted, and hopefully this is true. But if the FIS even considers going down this path, it is difficult to see that Norway can well be part of the skiing circus.
It was inappropriate that last winter’s hesitant ban was primarily justified on security grounds, rather than on solidarity with Ukraine.
When we now see that Russian leaders are in the heat of the autumn meeting of the FIS, there is even greater reason to wonder what forces actually prevail on the inside.
There is also reason to ask more questions about how and why the meeting in Zurich created so much drama around the Norwegian delegation.
For completely incomprehensible reasons, the new ski president Tove Moe Dyrhaug did not know that Russian leaders were present until tickets were ordered and the whole thing was to be dragged out.
Some delegates were already in Switzerland, others were on their way to the flight train in Norway – while still others were standing by the street in Gardermoen when the chaos arose.
Abruptly, the Norwegian Skiing Association ended up withdrawing from meetings in Switzerland as a result of Russians being selected.
While cross-country skiing chose to recall all representatives, jumping has chosen a “meet-by-meet line”, where they will only participate in meetings without Russian representation
So far we do not know how the ski association could be caught in bed in this way, but it all appears strange.
Why haven’t we had better communication and research up front? There is, after all, a Norwegian representative on the FIS board, the retired ski president Erik Røste. Surely it would have been to expect a good flow of information to the domestic association?
So far we do not know who is to blame, but it is important to get to the bottom of how such a clumsy situation could arise.
But if we put the costly chaos aside, the Norwegian ski leaders should be praised for acting when they became aware that the Russian leaders are welcome at the meetings in Switzerland.
Fortunately, it testifies to a willingness to take consequences of elections, also if what happens in our people does not get to participate in important conversations during the winter. It is also positive that Røste wants a ban for managers as well, so time will tell us how he handles the internal battle.
In some contexts it is wise to be around the edges, seek compromises and accept that it is necessary to give something to get something.
But in other situations it is “the hard way or no way” that applies.
Nothing about the development of the war points in the direction that it is time to soften towards Russian skiing.
It is no easy exercise to decide how sport should deal with a very extraordinary situation. Of course, it is boring for Russian athletes to be hit with a ban, because of a war for which they themselves are not responsible.
But in the big picture, there is unfortunately no other alternative that works. It also reinforces the justification for dealing with the fact that the links between the authorities, the military and top sport are tight in Russia. For example, Aleksandr Bolshunov is both an officer and a cross-country runner.
The various branches have chosen different approaches to Russian participation, and some have chosen to distinguish between performers and leaders. That differentiation is difficult to understand.
If you mean something by giving Russia a cold ski shoulder, sports leaders must also be included in this.
Here, Norway has a unique opportunity to influence the FIS summits, by virtue of our position as a skiing power. It is still uncertain how the board of the international association will land when they discuss Russia’s position later this autumn.
In advance of the treatment, it is important that Norway clarify our position, what we can live with this winter – and what we can never accept.
The message should be that we only accept an answer regarding Russian representation as long as the war of invasion continuesr.
That answer is NOTHING.