General
Russia is kicked out of biathlon. We could save ourselves, but we were doing other things
Victor Maigurov and Olle Dalin / Photo: © Edgar Breshchanov / Match TV, Christophe Pallot / Agence Zoom / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
The IBU Executive Committee gave a clear signal that our biathletes should not count on the restoration of their rights. And there is no one to stand up for them.
Despite the fact that the next congress of the International Biathlon Union should take place only in mid-September in Salzburg, you should not indulge yourself with illusions about the admission of Russians to the World Cup.
The ban will not be removed, the membership of the SBR will not be restored. Moreover, with the current alignment of forces within the Russian biathlon organization, it is difficult to understand how the dialogue with Olle Dalin’s structure will be built in the future. No fruitful contacts have been established so far.
And it is extremely disappointing that it is not worth counting on a change in the situation. While complaining about our position in the world biathlon family, we should reflect on the fact that we are not even able to choose the president of our federation.
Leapfrog that reduces our chances of success in this diplomatic game.
inexplicable play on words
On August 16, a press release appeared on the IBU website, according to which the executive committee of the international federation made a proposal to extend the temporary suspension of the membership of our federation.
Unfortunately, the wording used in the message is very difficult to understand. In particular, officials again manipulate the term “athlete safety”:
The Board is also seeking confirmation from the IBU Congress of its earlier decision that Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials will continue to be excluded from international competition until further notice in order to protect the safety of athletes and the fairness of IBU competitions. on the site.
When it comes to safety, the IBU is simply setting itself up, bluntly declaring that it is not capable of organizing its competitions at the proper level. The honesty of the results of the tournament in the sporting sense depends solely on the judiciary and compliance with the regulations. How will the participation of Russian biathletes make the fight unfair? Obviously not. Rather, our athletes find themselves in a much more unfair situation. What, by the way, is Yuri Kaminsky talking about:
– A biathlete who is outside the territory of the conflict is now not a biathlete in their understanding? I don’t know, the coach is surprised.
In general, behind the cunning formulations, the clear idea of foreign functionaries is again hidden: to prevent our country from participating in international tournaments at all costs. Despite the fact that the RBU is a sports public organization and can in no way influence other areas of life besides sports, there is no doubt that in Salzburg the delegates of the IBU member countries will vote in favor of maintaining the current sanctions.
Helpless SBR
In an atmosphere where the higher authority is expressed in incomprehensible language, the best thing to do is to talk to Olle Dahlin and try to find mutual understanding. There is simply no other way to reach a compromise.
However, now the SBR is not up to it. After all, we do not even have an understanding of who will be the president of the organization in September. And therefore, instead of wasting time on painstakingly building a dialogue with the IBU, Maygurov, as the current president, is forced to concentrate on something else, although their fight with Alexei Nuzhdov was supposed to end at the end of June at the reporting and election conference in Moscow.
Unfortunately, at that time Viktor did not receive two-thirds of the votes, so now everyone is waiting for the end of August and an extraordinary conference of the RRF. However, it is still not clear when and where it will take place. And the more we delay with the solution of this internal issue, the less chance there is to improve relations with the IBU. All that remains is to write official press releases that hardly anyone from the international federation reads:
“We believe that today’s recommendations of the IBU Executive Committee regarding the athletes of Russia and Belarus are just as hypocritical and politicized, they also contradict the IBU constitution and are just as harmful to world biathlon as the March decisions,” says the appeal of our federation.
Another chapter of open confrontation. It is not clear how our leaders are going to turn the situation from an open conflict into a constructive discussion. And are they going to? Here, for example, the coaching staff has already come to terms with the current situation:
“We have no doubt that they will do it. Nothing new! Europe is separate from the whole world, – says Kaminsky about the future decision of the IBU Congress, I predict the extension of the suspension of the RRF.
The words of Yuri Mikhailovich will become a fact in a month, and the blame for this will lie not only with the decision of the highest authority of the IBU, but also with the leaders of our biathlon, who at a turning point in history were engaged in internal affairs instead of establishing strategic communications.
Source: Sportbox
I have been working as a sports journalist for about 6 years now. I currently work as an author at Sportish, which is a sports news website. I mainly cover sports news and I love writing about all aspects of the sport. I also have experience working as a broadcast journalist, so I have some great insights into how sport is reported and presented.
General
Commonwealth Biathlon Cup: when did it start, where to watch the live broadcast of the women’s sprint on January 23
On Friday, January 23, a women’s sprint race will be held in Raubichi, Belarus, which will open the competitive program of the fourth stage of the Alfa-Bank Commonwealth Biathlon Cup.
The athletes will start the 7.5 km distance at 12:00 Moscow time. Watch the live broadcast of the race from 11:50 on the TV channels “Match TV” and “Match! Arena”, as well as the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
38 athletes entered the sprint. The race will be attended by Olympic silver medalists Irina Kazakevich, Kristina Reztsova and Svetlana Mironova, as well as Natalia Shevchenko, Inna Tereshchenko, Victoria Slivko, Victoria Metelya, Anastasia Khalili, Elizaveta Burundukova and other Russians.
Olympic champion Dinara Smolskaya, world championship bronze medalist Anna Sola, Elena Kulak, Irina Shakleina, Ksenia Vorobey, Victoria Shashkova and Anna Pestereva will compete for Belarus.
Source: Sportbox
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
General
Korostelev, Nepryaeva, Korzhova and Semenova accepted invitations from the IOC to the Olympics
Savely Korostelev and Daria Nepryaeva / Photo: © Leo Authamayou/NordicFocus / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru, Grega Valancic/VOIGT / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
Russian skiers Savely Korostelev and Daria Nepryaeva, as well as speed skaters Ksenia Korzhova and Anastasia Semenova, accepted invitations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to participate in the 2026 Olympics in Italy, the organization’s press service reports.
Invitations to athletes were sent in January. Also earlier, Russian figure skaters Pyotr Gumennik and Adelia Petrosyan, ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov and short track skaters Ivan Posashkov and Alena Krylova agreed to the IOC invitations.
The Olympic Games will take place from 6 to 22 February in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The Russians will compete at the competition in a neutral status.
Source: Sportbox
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
The head of the International Hockey Federation shared information that changes a lot.
Obvious progress in the restoration of Russian sports on the international stage is noticeable even to outspoken skeptics. Just in the last couple of months: the IOC gave recommendations to all federations to restore the rights of Russian juniors, our skiers, skeletonists, and lugers returned to international competitions, the flag and anthem were allowed in judo, the same thing happened in Paralympic sports, where we were also allowed to participate in the Paralympic Games in full status.
The next logical step is Russia’s admission to the Olympics without any restrictions. And there is already a clear understanding of when this will happen. A sports official of the highest level, who definitely knows a lot, let slip.
Warning signal from above
According to a journalist from The Athletic, the President of the International Hockey Federation (IIHF), Luc Tardif, said that the International Olympic Committee plans to fully admit Russian athletes and national teams to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The wording sounds specific and reassuring, but at the same time as accurate as possible. Tardif did not specify whether we are talking about performing under the national flag, about the return of federations to their previous status, or about some intermediate option. There are no official statements from the IOC either. Moreover, it is strange that the representative of the winter federation is the first to speak about such an important initiative regarding the summer Games.
Nevertheless, it is important that the word “full-fledged” is increasingly heard in the public space, and not the compromise constructions that have become common in recent years. And Tardiff is usually quite careful in his statements. It is unlikely that he would declare something that he is not one hundred percent sure of. Of course, the words of the head of the IIHF alone are not enough to allow Russia to the Olympics, but Tardiff definitely had reasons to say so.
Hockey is the most difficult case
As for winter sports and hockey in particular, the situation there is much more difficult. According to Tardif, the junior teams of Russia and Belarus could potentially be the first to return to the international arena. This is logical: it is children’s and youth sports that the IOC now considers as the least politicized segment.
According to the forecast of The Athletic journalist, the possible dates are as follows:
- return of U18 national teams – no earlier than 2028;
- the return of youth teams – no earlier than 2029;
- the return of adult national teams – no earlier than spring 2029.
If this scenario comes true, then the full return of the Russian national hockey team could take place by the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. The deadlines are distant, but at least they are indicated – and this already distinguishes the current situation from the previous uncertainty.
At the same time, on the same day it became known that the IIHF was not ready to return Russia at the moment. The Athletic journalist Chris Johnston, citing sources, reported that the IIHF upheld the sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian teams.
European resistance is still here
Despite all the cautious signals from above, serious resistance remains within the hockey community. According to The Athletic, Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic are still against the return of the Russian national team. These federations take a tough position and do not hide it at federation meetings.
In addition, the publication’s source notes that a negative reaction is also possible from the political leadership of Canada. Namely, Canada remains one of the key centers of influence in world hockey, and without taking into account its position, it is extremely difficult to move forward.
Luc Tardif himself consistently explains his logic. He emphasizes that he does not have the power to influence political processes, but is responsible for the holding of competitions.
– Everyone will be happy when they return to their family. When we do this, it will mean that many things have been settled. I have to defend the competition. When the time comes, we will invite them. We are still in contact, but at the moment it is impossible to plan the organization of the World Cup and a return to Russia in the context of the current situation. When the return occurs, it will mean that a lot has been resolved, The Athletic quotes Tardif.
Tardif’s statements do not immediately change reality and do not give reason to talk about the imminent return of the Russian national team to major tournaments. There are too many unknowns: the admission format, timing, the position of individual federations and the political background.
However, the shift in rhetoric itself is important. For the first time in a long time, the discussion of the return is not taking place in the format of hypotheses and behind-the-scenes conversations, but with approximate guidelines and reference to the Olympic cycle. The process is moving slowly and unevenly, but it is starting again – and this is perhaps the main conclusion at the moment.
Source: Sportbox
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
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