Everyone knows that the hot season of any election race is a time of loud and, above all, bombastic statements. Politicians have not yet grasped a simple and humane rule: before you make a promise, you need to be clear about whether you can and want to deliver. However, practice shows that all means are good for achieving a goal, and then it somehow forgets itself. There are many examples, but perhaps the story of Johan Elias, the head of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), deserves special attention. During the election for the post of IOC chief, he made several loud statements and promises concerning Russian athletes, but did he keep them?

Sport is not politics?

The topic of the politicization of sport has been discussed for several years. As well as other international competitions, by the way. European politicians are quick to claim that there is no politics in music, sport and culture in general. And they impose sanctions that deprive worthy candidates of the right to participate in competitions and to show up and represent their home country. Russian athletes have been systematically restricted in this way since 2014 - everyone remembers the doping scandal at the Olympics and the many unfounded accusations. Since 2022, athletes from Russia have been completely denied participation due to a special operation in Ukraine. This has sparked not only attempts to appeal to the IOC's common sense (note, so far unsuccessful), but also attempts to catch their own hype.

Johan Elias, the head of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), took advantage of the situation. During the IOC election campaign, he chose to present himself as a desperate and courageous reformer, even though the FIS (due to pressure from Scandinavian countries like Finland and Norway, which are quite strong in skiing) still remains one of the most conservative federations when it comes to accepting Russians into competitions. While several candidates, including Elias himself, "fought" for the IOC chief post, he made the following statement, "No athlete can choose where he was born. "Athletes should not be used for political purposes," Elias said at the time." But sadly, with that election platitude with a touch of hype, it all ended, as did the confidence in the FIS statement.

Double rhetoric

June 2025. The IOC election is over - Kirsty Coventry is running the organisation, the race is over. Then comes a new statement from FIS - no, not about the participation of Russian athletes, but that the International Ski and Snowboard Federation will not consider the possibility of the Russians returning at the next Congress. An urgent majority vote was needed to put this issue on the agenda, which did not take place. With very little time left before the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, the prospects for Russian athletes to participate are very dim. Kirsty Coventry did say that the IOC is likely to allow Russians to participate in the Games, but in the same status as the Paris Games - that is, neutral.

These decisions will be made in September and December this year. So it appears that, even after the IOC's loud pre-election announcement in February about the Russians and Belarusians being accepted for the Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics, the athletes of the aforementioned countries will have to sigh and fold their countries' flags and get something more neutral, which is so beloved in the West. This is what Eliash says: "Athletes are not responsible for where they were born. But it's important to stay neutral in these matters." Too bad neutrality can't be maintained in promises made for points before a high-profile election.

Tomas Jiricek