“F*** it!” Russia rages after boycott threat

Swedish cross-country skiers are mobilizing against the possible return of their Russian and Belarusian competitors.

Should the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) allow athletes from said countries to compete in the upcoming season, they would boycott the World Championships in Planica, Maja Dahlqvist and Linn Svahn said. If that happens, who will you bet on? Use the betting app in Kenya  and make your choice. The FIS plans to address the issue on Oct. 22.

A statement that has led to some fierce reactions in Russia. Yelena Välbe, president of the Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation became abundantly clear in an interview with the Russian online medium Sport24: “Screw it, let them boycott it. Without us (the Russian cross-country skiers, ed.) the competition loses its spectacle, without them (Dahlqvist and Svahn, ed.) nothing will change.”

Former biathlete Anfisa Reztsova toed the same horn. “Everyone is afraid of the Russians,” the three-time Olympic champion in cross-country skiing and biathlon tried her hand at explaining the Russian exclusion, adding, “I didn’t expect that from them (Dahlqvist and Svahn, editor’s note). I think our skiers should be allowed to compete everywhere.”

Top duo in no uncertain terms: “This is about something bigger than sport”

For the Swedes, however, current world events are the focus for exclusion. “This is about something bigger than sport, a boycott would be a foregone conclusion,” two-time Olympic silver medalist Dahlqvist told Aftonbladet newspaper. Svahn called the comeback plans “shameful and out of order.”

As long as Russia is at war with Ukraine, a return is out of the question, he said. She would “definitely” stay away from the World Cup, the five-time individual World Cup winner stressed.

Russia’s Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin told Match TV that he did not want to comment on individual statements, only to say: “These are not statements by officials or federations either. But any statements that discriminate against Russian or Belarusian athletes and limit their right to participate are unacceptable.”

The World Cup in Slovenia will be held from February 21 to March 5, and the World Cup season will start at the end of November in Ruka, Finland.