A recently published Langrenn story reported on the possibility that FIS may be forced to reconsider its recent ruling an Russian and Belarusian eligibility for participating in Period 1 of the 2025-2026 World Cup season. According to those reports, Russian athletes and para athletes—and the Russian Ski Federation—filed a law suit with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) seeking to overturn the recent FIS decision to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from events this autumn (events that could allow athletes to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics). Included in the suit is former World Junior Champion (2022), Saveliy Korostelev. While details remain unfocused as to which other athletes are involved, it’s possible that former Russian stars, Alexander Legkov and Maxim Vylegzhanin, are also included in this law suit. That’s a curious list, since Legkov (who is thought to be retired) has not been a factor on the international stage since his two Olympic medals in 2014 (both of which were subsequently stripped from him following revelations of his involvement in Russian doping at those Sochi Olympic Games). Vylegzhanin’s two silver medals from Sochi were also stripped, but later reinstated. According to current reports, the skier who dominated Nordic events at the Beijing Olympics in 2022, Alexander Bolshunov, is not named as a participant in this suit.
In related news, the International Luge Federation (FIL) was recently sued by Russian athletes and federations under similar circumstances. CAS’ judgment in the case continued to exclude athletes from the Russian Luge Federation (RLF), while overturning FIL’s exclusion of Russian and Belarusian lugers who qualify as Neutral Athletes (AIN) . . . the end result being that FIL will need to set protocols and procedures for identifying AINs in order for any of those athletes to enter Olympic qualifying events this winter.
If the cross-country world is searching for precedent in their own case, this recent CAS/FIL ruling would seem to offer a direct parallel . . . and would seem to imply that it’s not unlikely that we may yet see Russian and Belarusian athletes toeing starting lines for Olympic cross-country events later this winter.
John Teaford
John Teaford has been the coach of Olympians, World Champions, and World Record Holders in six sports: Nordic skiing, speedskating, road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, triathlon. In his long career as a writer/filmmaker, he spent many seasons as Director of Warren Miller’s annual feature film, and Producer of adventure documentary films for Discovery, ESPN, Disney, National Geographic, and NBC Sports.
