Kramer urged to deprive Finland of the stage of the world Cup on skiing because of the Russians

Former coach of the Russian national team in ski racing Markus Kramer has called for depriving the World Cup stage in the Finnish Hand of official status if Russian athletes are not allowed to enter the country. This was reported on November 15 portal Yle.

Kramer noted that the Ski Association of Finland is not responsible for visa policy and decisions of border services. However, in his opinion, the organization should take into account the position of the International Olympic Committee on the admission of athletes in neutral status.

The coach also spoke about the consequences of the long suspension of Russians from international competitions. According to him, the lack of competition with the strongest rivals prevents to maintain form and get acquainted with modern methods of preparation. The uncertainty of returning to the international arena, Kramer added, reduces the motivation of skiers.

If the Russian team can compete under the national flag, it will take about five years to train a new generation of competitive athletes.

The World Cup in Hand is scheduled for November 27-29.

Kramer has collaborated with Russian skiers since 2010, and in 2015 he officially joined the coaching staff of the national team. For seven years of work, he coached, in particular, Alexander Legkov, Sergei Ustyugov and Julia Stupak.