Vyalbe: “The skiers who were denied neutral status were told to sue. I will contact the ROC for support”

President of the Russian Ski Racing Federation (FLGR) Elena Vyalbe said on Match TV that Russian athletes who were denied neutral status by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) due to an alleged violation of anti-doping rules should contact the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

On Saturday, skier Sergei Volkov said on Match TV that he had appealed to CAS the FIS decision to deny him neutral status. In addition, Alina Pekletsova and Ivan Gorbunov reported that they were also denied neutral status.

— The thought creeps into my mind that there is some kind of “agreement” between the international federations and the International Olympic Committee in order to allow everyone to the Olympics according to the “1+1” scheme. It is clear that the guys served [заявки] in FIS, in order to compete at international competitions, we are not talking about the Olympic Games. Regarding doping tests, every year we were dissatisfied with the list of who would be tested, which was sent by FIS. They immediately answered that we have young athletes, and Gleb Retivykh and Maxim Vylegzhanin, for example, are still on the list.

We received an official answer that the tests done by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) will be enough for them, because RUSADA does not open samples within the country, but transports them outside its borders. And now the guys are getting rejected…

I told those who received a refusal that anti-doping rules were allegedly violated to file a lawsuit. I will contact the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) for support. People also need to be taught a lesson,” Vyalbe said on the air of the “Ski Country” program on Match TV.