Vyalbe: “Now only Korostelev and Nepryaeva have received neutral status. Other athletes were considered, but they were all banned.”

President of the Russian Ski Racing Federation (FLGR) Elena Vyalbe said on Match TV that among Russian skiers today only Savely Korostelev and Daria Nepryaeva have received neutral status from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), other athletes have been refused.

Previously, FIS issued neutral status to Korostelev and Nepryaeva, who competed at the World Cup in Davos and won quotas to participate in the sprint, skiathlon, time trial and marathon at the Olympics in Italy.

— To date, only they (Korostelev and Nepryaeva) have received neutral status.

Quite a lot of athletes were still being considered. But they all have a red card, they are all banned.

We are not asking who will be considered today. Who will be considered tomorrow. For what reasons were they not given neutral status? We have no right,” Vyalbe said on Match TV.

In December, the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee Mikhail Degtyarev announced that Russia had won a claim in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the FIS, and now the international federation is obliged to allow Russian athletes to compete. Degtyarev noted that the CAS arbitrators recognized the demands of the Russian side as reasonable and legitimate and, in accordance with the decision of the International Olympic Committee, ordered the FIS to allow Russians to compete in Olympic disciplines in a neutral status, and athletes in Paralympic disciplines under the national flag. FIS accepted the CAS decision and published the eligibility criteria.