Spitsov in, Bolshunov out
The list was long, but one name was missing. On November 9, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) granted neutral athlete status to ten more Russian cross-country skiers, among them Olympic champion Denis Spitsov. According to Russian outlet Lenta.ru, Aleksandr Bakurov, Evgeniya Krupitskaya, Elizaveta Eremeeva and Irina Mitroshina were also cleared, along with coaches Aleksandr Kravchenko and Vladimir Frolov. Three-time Olympic champion Alexander Bolshunov was not.
That fits what Russian media reported at the start of the month. On November 1, state agency RIA Novosti cited a source as saying FIS would not give Bolshunov neutral status for 2026/27 and had told him to wait until next season, despite his departure from army club CSKA Moscow. Norwegian broadcaster NRK then reported that the FIS board had come down against him at a meeting. Officially, however, the federation insists: "The board did not discuss specific individual cases. They agreed on clarifications that should guide neutral status applications."
A rule change that may open the door
The awkward part for FIS is that it loosened its own criteria this autumn. Previously, anyone who had ever been under a military contract was excluded. Under the new wording, the bar applies only to athletes currently under such a contract. Bolshunov has reportedly left both CSKA and his post with the National Guard. Sources inside FIS admitted to NRK that the change could open the door for him, even though that was never the intention.
Norwegian sports lawyer Pål Kleven believes an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) would have a genuine chance. Bolshunov has "a real possibility", Kleven told TV 2. "FIS must be able to explain and document which criterion Bolshunov possibly does not fulfil." According to TV 2, around 93 cross-country skiers from Russia and Belarus have now been granted neutral status.
Moscow vows to fight
Russia's position is unambiguous. Ski federation president Dmitry Svishchev has said his organisation will "fight for every single athlete" who meets the requirements but is denied neutral status. NRK reports that FIS fully expects an appeal – and fears it could lose at CAS, which has ruled in favour of Russian athletes in other recent cases.
Cross-CountryVisa wall before Ruka: Finland moves to shut out Russian skiersKlæbo open to the rivalry
Bolshunov, who won three gold medals at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, has not raced internationally since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His great rival Johannes Høsflot Klæbo has said, according to NRK, that he would welcome the Russian's return. For the Norwegian, who won six golds at Milano Cortina, it would mean a reunion with the man who pushed him hardest before Russia was excluded.
The clock is ticking. The World Cup season opens with the Nordic Opening in Ruka from November 27 to 29, and without a swift CAS ruling, Bolshunov will not be on the start line.
