Armenian cross-country skier Mikael Mikaelyan was penalised after concealing the word “Azerbaijan” on his race suit during Italy’s Tour de Ski event in late December. Armenia’s Ski Federation has come out in support of the athlete and said it is willing to pay the fine on his behalf.
The incident occurred on 31 December, when Mikaelyan covered the country’s name on his uniform. Speaking to RFE/RL, he said he could not separate sport from politics and felt unable to compete while displaying the name of a country he believes is hostile toward Armenia.
Although Mikaelyan said he hopes armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan will not resume, he described the current peace process as uncertain and stated that he would take the same action again in future events.
“For me, dignity and my homeland come first,” he said. Mikaelyan explained that he received his race suit only about two hours before the competition and decided to obscure the wording as soon as he noticed it.
Mikaelyan was Armenia’s sole representative at the tournament. After the race, competition officials summoned him to a meeting, where they explained the basis for the disciplinary action.
While the exact amount of the fine has not been announced, both Mikaelyan and the Armenian Ski Federation said they are prepared to cover the cost. Mikaelyan added that anyone wishing to contribute financially should instead donate toward developing skiing in Ashotsk, his hometown in the Shirak region.
On Monday, the president of the Armenian Ski Federation, Gagik Sargsyan, joined Mikaelyan during a Facebook livestream and confirmed that the federation would pay the fine. Sargsyan said Mikaelyan’s actions were unsurprising, describing him as a principled Armenian.
He also noted that during the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, several of Mikaelyan’s friends were killed, and their graves can be seen from the Ashotsk ski centre.
The Tour de Ski was sponsored by Azerbaijan under a five-year agreement signed in May 2025 between the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and Azerbaijan’s State Tourism Agency. Following the deal, Azerbaijan’s Winter Sports Federation received full FIS membership in June 2025, and the country was approved to host the Moguls World Cup finals in 2026.
The agreement made Azerbaijan FIS’s first Global Partner, though the financial terms were not made public. At the start of the 2025–2026 season, Azerbaijan also became a premium partner of the FIS World Championships across all disciplines and a title sponsor of the FIS World Cup.
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