Russia and Belarus are also out of the Biathlon World Cup this season. The International Biathlon Union does not accept the tour of Russians and Belarusians.
Jaakko Servo,
Mika Halonen
Biathlon has been buzzing behind the scenes this past week.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus are also not allowed to participate in biathlon World Cup competitions in the starting season. According to SVT’s data the countries have now said that they are planning their own international biathlon tour.
The Biathlon Federation of Belarus and the Moscow Regional Biathlon Federation joined forces and created a new competition with the aim of organizing international competitions. Participants are expected from several different countries.
The plans made the International Biathlon Union IBU react.
– It is not accepted. We have informed Russia and Belarus about it, as well as countries that, according to the Russian media, would join their competition. They were simply sent a warning that if they do not follow the IBU’s basic rules, there will be consequences, stated the IBU President Olle Dahlin for SVT.
– Biathletes (from IBU countries) may not participate in competitions that have not been authorized. We have received written answers from, for example, China. They confirmed that they will not be participating in the tour. The countries that, according to the Russian media, intend to participate in that competition have confirmed to us that they have no idea about this, Dahlin continued.
In addition to everything, the uproar has been caused by the fact that the organizers of the new competition had used in marketing Ekaterina Jurlova-Perchtin name. In her career, Russian biathlete Jurlova-Percht won, among other things, the normal distance World Championship gold in Kontiolahti in 2015.
Jurlova-Percht says on his Instagram, that his name has been used in marketing without his permission and without his knowledge at all. According to the biathlete, he had received information from the TASS news agency that he will participate in a press conference, the purpose of which is to market the new competition series and its first games.
– I would like to state that I have not received an invitation from the organizers of the event, nor did I give my consent to participate in it. I am very upset that my name is being used without my knowledge, which damages my reputation. I await clarification from those who spread this information.
According to SVT, the first competition of the new biathlon series is planned to be held on the 18th-19th. November on the main stage of the 2011 Biathlon World Championships in Hanty-Mansiysk.