Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social)

Silmukkahyppy is my name.

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

Finland now plans to remove or tighten that exemption for Russian athletes. A government resolution is not a law or even a regulation, so the change does not require parliamentary approval. Instead, the 🇫🇮 cabinet can amend the policy directly as an administrative decision. (7/7)

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

https://t.co/ZM8XUr7btU 🇫🇮 Foreign Ministry has been urgently preparing a tightening of visa rules for Russians as the government wants to prevent Russian athletes from entering Finland. According to Yle, the government is expected to approve the restrictions on Thursday. (1/7)

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

The planned change targets a visa exemption that has allowed Russian citizens to enter Finland for "short-term work assignments of less than 90 days". Athletes and coaches travelling to competitions have been able to use this route despite broader visa restrictions. (6/7)

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

Asked whether the planned policy would also apply to so-called neutral athletes, Orpo declined to comment. He added that Finland is coordinating its approach with neighbouring countries, partners and other EU member states. (3/2)

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

https://t.co/7ChIIguXi7 Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo: Finland is preparing additional measures to further restrict entry from Russia.
The planned measures would allow Finland to deny entry to specific groups, including professional athletes. (1/2)

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

Orpo says the government is moving "as quickly as possible" and continues to advocate for a coordinated EU-wide approach.
Since 2022, Finland has already imposed entry restrictions, including ending the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens. (2/2)

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

Nurminen also emphasized that Tampere and Kyiv are sister cities: "We want to show support, understanding and solidarity with Ukraine's plight, and we always want to stand on Ukraine's side." (4/4)

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

https://t.co/u3WpWx78wV Tampere Mayor Ilmari Nurminen says the city has approached Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs with a proposal not to grant visas to Russian athletes for the 2027 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Tampere. (1/4)

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

"We do not want a situation where Russian athletes arrive and the city is left to deal with the consequences," Nurminen said, arguing that the issue should be settled by the Finnish government before the event. (3/4)

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

https://t.co/d8wt0iAyPA
🇫🇮 Olivia Lisko withdraws from her GP assignment. She was diagnosed with a stress facture in her back in early fall, and the pain returned once she started training jumps again.
Minja Peltonen replaces her as the host pick at Finlandia Trophy.

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

🇫🇮 National Sports Council's statement: national teams of state-funded sports feds should not compete against 🇷🇺national teams as long as 🇷🇺 continues its war in 🇺🇦 + 🇫🇮 athletes "should carefully consider participation" in events with 🇷🇺 representatives https://t.co/pFVlSObXau

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

CORRECTION to the translation: Instead of "If Finland were to block...", it should be "If Finland REFUSED TO HOST WORLDS because of Russian participation...". My bad, I failed to double-check before I hit the Publish button.

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

If Finland were to block Russian participation at 2027 Worlds, the consequences could be severe, says Worlds Secretary General Salla Mäkelä: "It would be an extremely significant decision with considerable financial and contractual consequences." (1/7) https://t.co/guoGWygMqx

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

It was the recent ice hockey decisions that pushed the debate "to a completely new level" in Finnish media. "We will respect decisions made by Finnish authorities. Athlete eligibility is determined by the ISU, while entry into Finland is decided by the Finnish government." (7/7)

[Ritti (ritti9.bsky.social) @Ritti9]

"Russia's war in Ukraine is unequivocally condemnable. Competing with the neutral athlete status does not change our view of the war." Figure skating has wrestled with the Russia question throughout the war, long before it became a major political issue in Finland. (6/7)