Oslo mayor urges government to bar Russian skiers from Holmenkollen World Cup

Anne Lindboe, the mayor of Oslo, is pressing the national government to deny entry to Russian ski athletes for the World Cup races scheduled at Holmenkollen. She stresses that Norway maintains a restrictive visa policy toward Russian citizens, yet an exception exists for professional sportspeople, which she believes should be revoked. The International Ski Federation has recently eased its criteria for granting neutral status to Russian and Belarusian competitors, and 173 athletes have already qualified under the new rules.

Norway's Ski Federation is awaiting an explicit governmental stance before the events take place in March. Lindboe links the issue to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, stating that as long as Russia continues its war, Russian athletes have no place on the start line in Oslo.