IBU President Anders Besseberg
© EPA/MARTIN SCHUTT, archiveIBU President Anders Besseberg
The Executive Board of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) has decided to abridge the rights of the Russian Biathlon Union over doping abuses, IBU President Anders Besseberg said on Sunday.


Comment: Where is the evidence? Also, if a member of the Russian Biathlon Union has been found to be doping, why is the RBU being punished for it? Does every union get punished this way when one of their members inevitably gets caught doping? No they don't. This is just more politicized nonsense emanating from the West to demonize Russia.


According to Besseberg, the Russian Biathlon Union has been stripped of the right to vote at congresses and nominate its candidates.

The IBU Executive Board met on Sunday to discuss the situation following the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision of December 5 to suspend the Russian Olympic Committee's membership over multiple doping abuse allegations, thus banning the Russian national team from taking part in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea's PyeongChang under the national flag.

The IOC accused Russia of systematic abuse of anti-doping rules at various sporting events, including the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The IOC vowed however to observe the rights of clean athletes. Those who match the proposed criteria may be invited to the 2018 Games as "Olympic athletes from Russia," under a flag with five rings, it said.