Shortly after the war started by Russia in Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) called on all sports federations to ban citizens of Russia and Belarus from competing in their competitions.
The FIS also complied with this request, but currently the FIS believes that the IOC is also starting to consider the idea of the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions. Vion revealed that the FIS had two meetings with the IOC regarding the issue.
“It will take several weeks or months, but the idea of the return of Russians and Belarusians continues to appear. We are not talking about the competition in Russia, but the participation of these athletes in the FIS competitions and the World Cup,” said Vion. “I don’t know if it could already happen with the start of the World Cup, but a solution will probably be found already in December. The World Championship would be a good opportunity.”
He also pointed out that Russian and Belarusian athletes would have to compete under a neutral flag, and added that the FIS had rejected the wish of two Russian athletes to change their citizenship.
Last week, the Congress of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) decided to maintain the ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in competitions organized by the IBU, but the FIS Council meeting is only scheduled for October 22.
