Finland has made a formal protest to the International Ski Federation (FIS) concerning the conditions surrounding the recent sprint competition. The protest arises from controversies related to the handling of equipment during the race, particularly the use of a wax melting pot by Norway, which was explicitly banned in prior communications from FIS to all teams. This has raised questions about the integrity of the competition's results, especially after Norway's Johannes Klæbo won gold, U.S. athlete Ben Ogden silver, and Oskar Vike from Norway took bronze, while Finland's Lauri Vuorinen finished fourth.

Key to the protest is the contention that the FIS has violated its principles of fair play by granting Norway an exemption that allowed them to use the banned equipment during the race's heats, a decision kept secret from other teams. In a further development, U.S. team's technician Oleg Ragilo allegedly brought a prohibited substance, a wax remover, to the wax testing area, claiming it was merely for washing his hands. However, this incident also raised concerns as FIS did not take action against him, suggesting a bias in their enforcement of rules.

The Finnish Ski Federation and the Olympic Committee are calling for a correction of the competition results in light of these issues, emphasizing the need for transparency and fairness in international competitions. As such, the case highlights ongoing tensions and intricate dynamics in competitive skiing as nations navigate the complex interplay of rules and strategies in elite sports.