Photo courtesy of the Belarusian Ski Union
At the upcoming 25th Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belarusian athletes will compete in five sports. Three of them are skiing disciplines: freestyle skiing, cross-country skiing, and alpine skiing. The female athletes, of course, will not have an easy stroll. Nor did they have a simple path to the main event. The opportunity to compete at the Olympics had to be literally fought for.
Here is a chronology of events. On 21 October 2025, the Council of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) decided to bar Belarusian and Russian athletes from international competitions even under a neutral status. The Belarusian Ski Union refused to accept this state of affairs and filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Then, on 2 December, CAS overturned the FIS Council’s decision. Belarusian ski athletes gained the opportunity to participate in qualifying competitions and to earn their way to the Olympic Games through fair sporting competition. The result: five Olympic berths. Chairman of the Belarusian Ski Union Aleksandr Grebnev shared the details of this difficult journey in an interview with BelTA.
Mr Grebnev, were three spots in freestyle, and one each in cross-country and alpine skiing the maximum possible to aim for under the current conditions?
As a sports fan, I am very pleased with the Olympic qualification results. However, as a manager, I cannot be fully satisfied, as I had hoped for more berths. I take a realistic view of the situation and understand the constraints of the national quota. If there is only one quota available, then that is the reality we must accept. The qualification process presented numerous challenges. For instance, Hanna Machakhina traveled to the World Cup stage in Davos from Tyumen and her journey took an entire day and involved multiple flight changes. The very next day after arriving, she took to the starting line and secured an Olympic spot. This Olympic cycle the international skiing federations introduced a ban on the use of fluoride in ski preparation. We had to adapt quickly to these new regulations. There were many such situations and obstacles, but the most important outcome is that our athletes will compete at the Olympic Games. The very fact that we have been admitted indicates that the ice has been broken. We will continue working to ensure our athletes can compete under the state symbols, which they rightfully deserve. Progress is already being made; for example, juniors have been allowed to compete internationally with all restrictions lifted. Of course, [President of the International Olympic Committee] Kirsty Coventry and her team will not be able to resolve every issue immediately; progress will come gradually. For our part, we remain open, maintain communication, and are always prepared to find constructive solutions at the negotiating table, grounded in legal principles.
The fact that the Belarus Ski Union successfully won the right to qualify for the Olympics demonstrates that law and justice are on the side of Belarusian sport...
The period from October to December 2025 were the three months lived in combat mode. But we simply couldn't have acted otherwise. We, in the Belarusian skiing family, help and support each other. For me, as the head of this family, and for my colleagues, nothing is more important than our athletes, who are meant to compete at the Olympic Games. The most important thing for us is that athletes feel they are not alone, that they feel the care of the state and their skiing family. We, the sports functionaries, must take responsibility for this, responding clearly and promptly to external challenges and threats. We faced the key external challenge on 21 October when FIS extended our suspension from international competitions. Making such a decision, especially during an Olympic season, was impossible, and so we began to fight. The first battle our team faced was against doubts whether to file an appeal, because it is difficult and costly, and there was no certainty of a successful outcome. The second battle was fought directly in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The third battle was for our neutral athletes, and the fourth battle was about getting access to the qualifying tournaments. Life is indeed a struggle. That's the absolute truth. Raised in this paradigm, we fight and take all difficulties in stride, just as Belarusian athletes know how to do. We feel support, not only within our skiing family but also from the state, from the Sport and Tourism Ministry and from the National Olympic Committee. The most important battle is ahead, namely the Olympic Games. I have no doubt whatsoever that our girls will come on top of it. I am very pleased that our sports delegation in the Year of the Belarusian Woman is composed of women. As a man, I am grateful to the president for declaring 2026, the Olympic year, the Year of the Belarusian Woman in our country, because our girls are capable of great achievements.
Is Belarus allowed to host international skiing competitions?
Yes, we are permitted to hold international skiing competitions in the Republic of Belarus for athletes of all age categories. However, the problem is that this decision of the International Olympic Committee is only a recommendation, and its implementation is up to the international sports federations. We have established constructive cooperation with FIS [the International Ski Federation], and no one is putting obstacles in our way. I believe that future decisions will also be in our favor. Gradually, everything will return to normal. I have no doubt that freestyle competitions will soon be held in Raubichi, and we will once again host continental cups in cross-country skiing. I am confident we will also host competitions in other exciting disciplines that we have been developing over the past four years, for example, roller-ski races. We have formed a ski-jumping team, and two out of three our athletes stood on the podium at the Russian Junior Championships. This means we have a reserve to work with, and we certainly will. Work is in full swing. I am sure that in the future we will have more skiing disciplines, more athletes, and our representation from one Olympics to the next will only grow.
The Olympics Games in Italy will be your first as Chairman of the Belarusian Ski Union. Are you feeling nervous?
I think I have never been so worried about anyone as I am about my athletes at the Olympics. I was worried before when I was Secretary General of the Belarusian Ski Union. But as Chairman the anxiety is even greater, because the responsibility is higher. I wholeheartedly believe in my athletes. I know they will overcome any difficulties. It is impossible to predict everything. But we are not accustomed to fearing difficulties. In sport one must be brave and strong in spirit, because, as the president said, only strength is respected today.
Valeriya Stetsko, BelTA
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