The US Biathlon Federation announced a boycott of the World Cup stage, which will be held in Tyumen (Russian Federation) from March 22 to 25. This is stated in a message posted by the federation on Twitter.
In particular, it is noted that the relevant decision was made to support "clean sport" and the safety of athletes.
"Russia still does not comply with the code of the World Anti-Doping Agency, athletes who comes there are in danger. The holding of competitions in Tyumen is an ugly message to the world in terms of anti-doping indifference, "the report says.
The official statement from the U.S. Biathlon Team on their decision not to participate in the IBU World Cup Biathlon Final in Tyumen, Russia. pic.twitter.com/ejQzRwrPOP
Soon after this, a similar statement was made by the federation of Czech biathlon. The decision of the team was announced by the head of the Czech sports federation Jiri Hamza.
According to him, in this way the Czech national team in biathlon will confirm its opposition to the use of doping by Russian athletes.
Previously, the Association of Biathlon of Canada reported on the boycott of competitions in Tyumen. Biathlonists explained their decision by distrust of the Russian anti-doping system.
As you know, two Russian athletes who participated in the Olympics in South Korea are suspected of using doping. Curlingist Alexander Krushelnytsky was stripped of his bronze medal in curling. And the bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva, who is suspected of violating anti-doping rules at the Olympics in Pyeongchang, refused to open the "B" test.
