Russia & Poland Clash at Winter Sports | Moscow Reacts

On December 22, Daniľ Sadrejev and Mikhail Nazarov obtained the status of neutral ski jumpers, thus reopening the sensitive topic of the return of Russian athletes to the World Cup carousel.

Sportweb

02.01.2026 21:00

However, it was obvious from the first moments that their participation in the race in Zakopane was problematic, to say the least. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has now made it clear in a statement for Polish Radio that the start of Russian citizens on the territory of Poland is out of the question.

Russian jumpers have been banned from international ski jumping competitions since the beginning of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. It was the granting of neutral status to Sadreyev and Nazarov on December 22 that marked the first formal breakthrough after long months of isolation.

There were hopes in the Russian camp that both could return during the 74th edition of the Four Bridges Tour. However, that did not happen and their comeback is postponed again. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that sooner or later they will appear in the World Cup races.

After the Tour of Four Bridges, the World Cup in Zakopane traditionally awaits the ski jumping elite. It was there, however, that it was clear from the beginning that the return of the Russian jumpers was not realistic.

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In its official statement, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the current legislation does not allow the entry of Russian citizens into the territory of Poland even in the case of sporting events.

“We would like to inform you that on September 19, 2022, an amendment to the regulation of the Minister of the Interior and Administration on the temporary suspension or restriction of movement at selected border crossings, which restricts the entry of citizens of the Russian Federation into Poland, entered into force.

Participants of sports competitions are not listed among the persons authorized to cross the Polish border who are citizens of the Russian Federation. Due to the impossibility of crossing the border, there is no legal basis for accepting a visa application,” states the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent to Polish Radio.

Not participating in the Tour of the Four Bridges and subsequently also in the event in Zakopane significantly complicates the situation of both Russian jumpers. Both Sadrejev and Nazarov need to gain approximately 20 points in the evaluation in order to maintain any hope of participating in the Winter Olympics.

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The weekend in Sapporo, Japan (January 17-18) could be the last opportunity for them to gain points for the World Cup rankings. If they show up there, they will have to achieve very good placings on the Okurayama Bridge.

Meanwhile, the World Cup and the Four Bridges Tour move to Innsbruck, Austria. Qualifying for the Bergisel Bridge race is scheduled for Saturday, January 3 at 2:30 p.m., the competition itself will take place on Sunday, January 4 at 1:30 p.m.

The fight for the prestigious “Golden Eagle” traditionally culminates in the final event in Bischofshofen.

The issue of the return of Russian athletes thus remains not only a sporting, but above all a political issue, which will repeatedly return to the table of international federations and individual host countries in the coming weeks and months.

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