Markus Kramer: “Approximately 80% of foreign skiers and even more are for the return of Russia. Central Europe is definitely for you”

The coach of the Italian cross-country skiing team, Markus Kramer, spoke on Match TV about how European athletes perceive the opportunity to compete with the Russians again.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev said that Russia won a claim in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and now the international federation is obliged to allow Russian athletes to compete. FIS accepted the CAS decision and published the eligibility criteria. Member of the Presidium of the Russian Ski Racing Federation (FLGR) Sergei Kryanin previously told Match TV that the federation had already sent the lists to the FIS to obtain neutral status.

The third stage of the World Cup will be held in Davos from December 12 to 14.

— For several years I dreamed that the Russians would return to the World Cup and then compete at the Olympics. Now we have one strong country, Norway, in men’s racing. This is not very good, we need competition, and this is only possible with the participation of Russia. I spoke to the Italian team. They all say that they are happy that they can compete with the Russians again. A similar opinion was expressed by one of the German skiers. In general, approximately 80% of foreign skiers and even more are for the return of Russia. Central Europe is definitely for you. In Scandinavia the opinion is different, but even there there are those who are for the return of Russia. “I want to see all the strong guys from Russia,” Kramer said on the air of the “Ski Country” program on Match TV.

Kramer worked in the Russian national team from September 2015 to March 2022.