Estonia bans Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing on its soil
Estonia announced it will not grant visas to athletes from Russia or Belarus, joining Norway, Finland and Canada in restricting participation due to the war in Ukraine.
Estonia has informed the International Ski Federation (FIS) that it will deny entry to Russian and Belarusian athletes, saying the presence of competitors from the two countries would undermine its support for Ukraine and could be used for propaganda. The decision follows similar moves by Norway, Finland and Canada, which have also said they will block visas for Russian athletes because of the conflict in Ukraine.
The FIS reiterated that while it offers a neutral-athlete policy, the host nation retains the right to apply its own visa and entry rules. It stated that the federation is not responsible for any visa denials for athletes who meet the eligibility criteria under the Individual Neutral Athlete policy.
Norway plans to host a cross-country skiing World Cup event next month, and Finland is set to stage the figure skating World Championships in March. The International Skating Union (ISU) has said it is seeking clarification from Finnish officials while maintaining that athletes should not be punished for the actions of their governments.
The ban comes amid ongoing disputes over the reinstatement of Russian and Belarusian competitors in international sport. Earlier this year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a ban on Russia imposed by the International Ice Hockey Federation, a ruling that was criticized by several European hockey federations. Canada has also announced it will not issue visas for Russian players to take part in the upcoming World Junior Championship as long as the war continues.
While some federations have lifted restrictions, others, such as World Athletics, continue to enforce a total ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus.