Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing on German soil again for the first time under their own flag. They are able to keep up with the front runners.
The Russian Para athletes have shown themselves to be competitive upon their return to competition under their own flag, but the feared dominance did not materialize.
At the Cross-Country Skiing World Cup in Finsterau, there was only one podium finish in the six races on Wednesday, a second place in the men’s sitting category; the Russian anthem therefore did not have to be played yet. In some starting classes, Ukrainians also competed against athletes from the two warring nations.
In general, most of the 17 Russian and some of the eight Belarusian athletes collected a good number of ranking points for possible quota places for the Paralympics via bilateral invitations. The German team was only minimally affected by the excitement surrounding the return of the warring nations.
Anja Wicker (“It went super well”) finished second in the sitting class over ten kilometers, Leonie Walter placed third among the visually impaired. Kathrin Marchand narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in the standing class.
Complaints from Russia and Belarus Successful Before CAS
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially upheld complaints from Russia and Belarus against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) in early December. Accordingly, Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete again in accordance with the rules of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). As the IPC General Assembly unexpectedly lifted the suspensions of both countries at the end of September, they are officially returning to the sports community.
Accordingly, Russians and Belarusians are participating under their own flag again for the first time at the World Cup in Finsterau and in parallel at the Alpine events in Saalbach. The German Disabled Sports Association (DBS) had expressed strong criticism in this regard. One has “to accept” it, said DBS board member Idriss Gonschinska, “but it contradicts our moral and ethical principles, our sporting values - and from our point of view, it is particularly unacceptable for participants from Ukraine.”
Although the allocation of quota places for the Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo (March 6 to 15) has technically concluded, Russians and Belarusians are still hoping to participate through a back door. By collecting ranking points, they can recommend themselves for bilateral invitations.