PHOTO: Bildbyrån
On November 30, the women’s Biathlon World Cup season begins in Kontiolahti, Finland.
Now the Ukrainian national team is getting help from Sweden ahead of the season – when the preparations take place in Idre Fjäll.
– It feels great to be able to help our friends from Ukraine, says Rikard Grip, secretary general of the Swedish Biathlon Federation, in a press release.
When Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, five of the sport’s biggest nations came together and launched a solidarity program with the International Biathlon Union, the IBU. The purpose of the program is to help Ukraine and support the skaters in their preparations for the upcoming season.
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Swedish support
In Sweden, the Ukrainian national team gets free accommodation, access to training facilities, track cards and race times. But also training duels against both Swedish and French skaters.
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“It feels great to be able to help our friends from Ukraine in this way, together with Idre Fjäll, who are obviously having a tough time in many ways,” says Rikard Grip, secretary general of the Swedish Biathlon Union, in a press release.
The skaters from Ukraine will also participate in the Swedish premiere this weekend, where the biggest Swedish stars are on the starting line.
“This is where sport is at its best, when we support each other across national borders in difficult times. It’s an honor for us to get the chance to contribute and it’s also fun to see that it’s full speed on a snow-white ski arena,” says Andreas Starenhed, CEO of Idre Fjäll, in the press release.
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