Estonia has barred athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in sporting contests on its soil, taking a firm stand against their return to the international arena while the war in Ukraine continues.
The move follows similar entry bans introduced by Norway, Finland, and Canada, according to a report by Punch. The Estonian government sent a letter to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation explaining its position, stating that welcoming these competitors would harm its solid backing for Ukraine and give room for Russian propaganda.
The dispute comes after the ski federation loosened its restrictions in September, setting up a system for Russian and Belarusian sportspeople to feature as Individual Neutral Athletes if they sign a neutrality pledge. Under those terms, participants cannot use their national flags, sing anthems, or wear national uniforms.
Responding to the pushback, the ski federation told BBC Sport that while it continues to guide organisers through the neutral participation rules, host nations hold total control over their borders. The body stated clearly that each host country decides its own visa and entry rules, and the federation takes no blame when entry is denied to cleared neutral competitors.
Other winter sports hosts are taking identical steps. Norway will deny visas ahead of hosting the cross-country skiing World Cup next month, while Finland will do the same before staging the figure skating World Championships in March. However, the International Skating Union voiced displeasure, arguing that competitors should not suffer punishment over political actions taken by their home governments.
Canada has taken a similarly hard line in ice hockey, telling local officials that Russian players will not receive visas for next month's World Junior Championship, an embargo that also extends to Russian players active on Canadian club teams. That step directly counters a recent victory by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which overturned an earlier ban set by the International Ice Hockey Federation.
