FIS has reopened the door to Russian cross-country skiers. Sweden wants to close it at the border. The Swedish Ski Association (Svenska Skidförbundet) and the Swedish Sports Confederation (Riksidrottsförbundet, RF) are trying to persuade the government in Stockholm to refuse visas to Russian athletes for the Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported on Wednesday morning. The championships run from 24 February to 7 March 2027.
Bonde: "Not a decision we think is good"
The trigger is the governing body's stance. FIS relaxed its rules ahead of the new season and now allows more Russian cross-country skiers to compete under neutral status, which in principle clears several of them for the World Championships. In Sweden, that has met firm resistance.
"Since it has been decided, we have to abide by it, but it is not a decision we think is good," Pernilla Bonde, secretary general of the Swedish Ski Association, told SVT. The federation has passed the matter on to RF, which could in turn take it to the foreign ministry, she said, with a view to "which countries are allowed to enter the country". As a sports federation, Bonde stressed, it can only act within the rules that apply.
Toralf Nilsson, vice-chair of RF, confirmed the confederation is in contact with the Government Offices and that there is a dialogue on the issue. Visa matters fall under migration minister Johan Forssell; the government had not commented publicly.
Korostelev: sport and politics "mixed up"
The Russian reaction was predictable. Saveliy Korostelev, who finished fourth at the 2026 Olympics and was among the first Russians to be granted neutral athlete status by FIS, told SVT it was "sad when people try to mix sport and politics".
The dispute exposes the limits of a FIS ruling. The federation decides who is eligible to race; host nations decide who gets in. That gap is exactly what the Swedes are targeting. According to reports, the Swedish federation has also discussed the approach with other Nordic federations that stage World Cup events.
Cross-CountryVisa wall before Ruka: Finland moves to shut out Russian skiersNorway opposed, but falls in line with FIS
Across the border the position is similar, the tone more restrained. The Norwegian Ski Federation still opposes the Russians' return but intends to follow the governing body. Secretary general Cathrine Instebø said earlier that Norway has "to relate to what FIS decides", Norwegian outlet Langrenn.com recalled.
For FIS, the timing is awkward. It is not a minor nation pushing back but one of cross-country skiing's heartlands, and it is doing so as the host of the sport's biggest event of the season. Should Stockholm act on the request, FIS would face an open clash with its own World Championship organiser roughly four months before the first race at the Lugnet stadium.
What happens next
Whether Sweden actually refuses any visas remains open. The key question now is whether the foreign and migration ministries take up the request. There is still time for political talks before the championships open on 24 February 2027, and FIS is continuing to review applications for neutral status that will decide how many more Russian athletes become eligible to race in Falun at all.
