Poland’s Foreign Ministry has said there are no grounds to issue visas to Russian ski jumpers for World Cup events in Wisla and Zakopane, Polsat News reported. The decision means athletes who may be eligible under FIS neutral-status rules still cannot enter Poland for the two competitions.
Polsat News said the ministry told Interia Sport that current restrictions apply to Russian citizens crossing Poland’s external EU border. According to the report, athletes travelling to sporting events are not among the listed exceptions, leaving no basis for visas for the jumpers.
The case separates sporting eligibility from a host country’s entry rules. FIS may permit Russian athletes to compete under neutral status, but the report says each World Cup host decides whether to admit jumpers from that country. Poland’s visa position therefore creates the immediate barrier to participation in Wisla and Zakopane.
Russia’s embassy in Poland described the decision as “openly anti-Russian” and said Poland was creating artificial barriers. That is the embassy’s political assessment. Poland’s Foreign Ministry, as reported by Polsat News, based its position on border and visa restrictions rather than on an assessment of the athletes’ sporting eligibility.
The events are scheduled for 4–6 December in Wisla and 15–17 January in Zakopane. The report does not indicate whether visa applications have been filed or whether FIS and the organisers will comment.
Sources
- Polsat News · Source date: 2026-11-13
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-13