WARSAW
Russian ski jumpers Danil Sadreev and Mikhail Nazarov will not be allowed to compete in the upcoming World Cup event in Zakopane, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement sent to Polskie Radio 24 on Friday.
Despite having been granted neutral athlete status by the International Ski Federation (FIS), the statement said existing border regulations prevent Russian citizens from entering Poland for sporting events. “Due to the impossibility of crossing the border, there are no grounds for accepting the visa application,” the ministry said.
The clarification follows weeks of uncertainty after the FIS announced in December that Sadreev and Nazarov would be permitted to compete under a neutral flag this season. While the pair have already missed the ongoing Four Hills Tournament, attention has turned to whether they might appear at the Zakopane competition, traditionally one of the most high-profile stops on the ski jumping calendar.
According to the Foreign Ministry, a regulation introduced in Sept. 2022 restricting entry for Russian citizens remains in force and does not include exemptions for participants in international sporting competitions. As a result, the two athletes will remain barred from the event regardless of their neutral status.
The decision highlights a growing disconnect between international sports federations and national governments. While bodies such as the FIS have moved toward conditional reintegration of Russian athletes under neutral status, Poland is asserting that state-level sanctions and border regulations take precedence.
The case also underscores Poland’s broader political stance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, signaling that symbolic compromises in sport will not translate into practical access on Polish territory.