U Dear Presidents of Biathlon Federations, Members of the IBU Executive Committee!

I ask you to familiarize yourself with the list of athletes and countries found to be using prohibited drugs and please think about what the answer and reaction to these facts should be.

You are making a claim to us. I am writing on my own behalf, without referring to anyone, because I am worried about the image of my sport and my country. Compare these facts and remember that the Russian side has ever made a fuss about these facts. I would especially like this list to be carefully studied by basketball player Jiri Hamza, who loudestly demands collective punishment of Russian biathlon. Before making statements, you need to study the problem from all sides and think whether only Russia has problems with doping. Believe me, this is not a complete list.

FRANCE

Teddy Tamgo (athletics, world champion in triple jump) was disqualified in 2014 (3 whereabouts failures) for a year and a half, returned in 2015

Frédéric Bousquet (swimming) was suspended for two months in 2010 for testing positive for Heptaminol. Returned the same year. Participant of the Rio Games.

Gregory Boje (cycling). Ten-time world champion, three-time Olympic medalist. In 2012, he was disqualified for a year for missing doping tests. Participant of the Rio Games.

Sylvain Georges (cycling). In 2013, I fell for Heptaminol. Returned in 2015.

NORWAY

Teresa Johaug (cross-country skiing, Olympic champion) was disqualified in 2016 (anabolic steroid clostebol). The period of disqualification for her was calculated in such a way - so that the athlete could compete at the 2017 World Championships

Martin Sundby (cross-country skiing, world champion) was suspended for two months in 2016 for abusing an asthma medication containing salbutamol. Returned for the 2016/2017 season

Eric Tise (athletics, race walking) was disqualified in 2010 for erythropoietin. Returned in 2012.

CZECH

Jiri Orsag (weightlifting) was disqualified for two years in 2013 for Adverse analytical finding (Tamoxifen). Returned in 2015

Michal Balner (athletics, pole vault) was disqualified in 2010 for marijuana. Participant of the Rio Games.

David Bystron (football). Disqualified for two years in 2012 for methamphetamine. Returned in 2014.

Sabina Dostalova (swimming). Disqualified in 2009 for anabolic steroids, returned in 2011

P.S. Other foreign athletes suspended for doping and returning to sport

Gervasio Deferr, Spain - artistic gymnastics

Spanish gymnast Gervasio Deferr became an Olympic champion in the vault in Sydney in 2000, and two years later he was caught using marijuana. He was stripped of his 2002 World Championship medal and disqualified. But he returned to big-time sports, again became an Olympic champion in his signature event in Athens, and in Beijing he won silver in floor exercises.

Kaisa Varis, Finland - cross-country skiing, biathlon

Finnish skier Kaisa Varis competed in the national team from 1995 to 2006. As part of the national team, she became a bronze medalist at the 2001 World Championships in the 15 km classic style race and a silver medalist in the relay, but this award was taken away from the team due to Virpi Kuitunen doping. Varis herself tested positive for doping at the 2003 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, which resulted in the Finnish team being deprived of silver in the relay for the second time in a row. Varis was disqualified for two years, and after serving her sentence, she continued her career not in skiing, but in biathlon. In January 2008, she won the sprint race in Ruhpolding, but this result was annulled due to a repeated doping scandal. EPO was detected in the Varis sample. The athlete was disqualified for life, but a year later she was acquitted because she was not present at the autopsy of sample B. Varis no longer competed at the international level.

Justin Gatlin, USA - Athletics

One of the strongest sprinters in the world was caught doping twice. In 2001, amphetamines were found in Gatlin's sample, as a result of which he was suspended from the sport for a year. After his return, he won gold, silver and bronze at the Games in Athens and two golds at the World Championships in Helsinki. In 2006, elevated levels of testosterone were detected in his samples. He was disqualified for eight years, but this was reduced to four years on appeal. This allowed Gatlin to return to the sport and become a four-time medalist at the world championships in Moscow and Beijing, and also won silver and bronze at the Olympics in London and Rio de Janeiro. In athletics, we can also note the disqualifications and returns of Jamaican sprinters Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell and American Tyson Gay.

Alexander Vinokurov, Kazakhstan - cycling

The famous Kazakh cyclist Alexander Vinokurov, winner of the 2006 Vuelta, was caught for hemotransfusion - a prohibited blood transfusion - during the 2007 Tour de France. Vinokurov served a two-year disqualification and returned to the sport. He won individual stages of the Tour de France, won the Liège-Bastogne-Liège classic, and won the main victory at the 2012 Olympics, winning the group race.

Sandra Perkovic, Croatia - discus throw

The unconditionally strongest discus thrower in the world, Croatian Sandra Perkovic, who has repeatedly declared intolerance to doping, was disqualified in 2011 for using methylhexamine. But the disqualification was only six months. After returning, Perkovic won gold at the Olympics in London and Rio de Janeiro, became a two-time European champion, world champion in Moscow 2013 and silver medalist in Beijing 2015.

Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland - cross-country skiing

Polish skier Justyna Kowalczyk was caught using the banned drug dexamethasone in January 2005, and in June of the same year she was disqualified for two years. Six months later, CAS reviewed the case and in December 2005 lifted Kowalczyk's disqualification. After returning to the sport, Kowalczyk quickly achieved the status of one of the strongest skiers in the world. She became a two-time Olympic champion and won two bronze and a silver Olympic medals, won two gold, three silver and two bronze medals at the world championships, won the overall World Cup and the multi-day Tour de Ski. She has spoken many times about her tough attitude towards those who use illegal drugs, including the skiers of the Norwegian national team.

Claudia Pechstein, Germany - speed skating

In July 2009, one of the most titled speed skaters in history, five-time Olympic champion Claudia Pechstein, was disqualified for two years based on bio-passport indicators (Russian walkers were punished on the same grounds). The German athlete argued that these indicators could not be different due to the characteristics of the body and filed an appeal, but CAS rejected it. After returning to sports, Pechstein took part in the Olympics in Sochi, the World and European Championships. She won six bronze medals at the world championships and became European vice-champion in the all-around.

Martin Jonsrud Sundby, Norway - cross-country skiing

Two-time Olympic medalist, world champion and multiple winner of World Cup stages, Tour de Ski and Tour of Canada stage races, Martin Jonsrud Sundby was caught abusing the asthma drug (Ventolin). However, this was discovered only in the summer of 2016, when he was disqualified for only two months and deprived of one of the titles of the winner of the Tour de Ski. In fact, Sundby did not miss a single day of competition in the 2016/17 season and fought with Russian Sergei Ustyugov for victory in the prestigious stage race.

Virpi Kuitunen, Finland - cross-country skiing

In 2001, at the World Ski Championships, six athletes from the Finnish national team were caught for doping and blood transfusions. Virpi Kuitunen, Milla Jaho, Harri Kirvesniemi, Jari Isometsya, Janne Immonen and Mika Myllylä. Only Kuitunen returned to professional sports after a two-year disqualification at a high level. In 2005, she became the silver medalist at the World Championships in the 30 km classic style race, in 2006 at the Turin Olympics she won bronze in the team sprint, and a year later at the World Championships in Sapporo she won three gold medals. In 2009, in Liberec, she added two gold medals in the team sprint and relay to her rich collection, and after the 2010 Games and Olympic bronze in the relay, she retired.

Sun Yang, China - swimming

The two-time London Olympic champion was caught using the banned drug trimetazidine in 2014. The swimmer’s lawyers were able to prove that the drug entered his body along with a heart medication prescribed by a doctor. The disqualification period was all three months, and Sun Yang then competed at the World Championships in Kazan, winning two golds and a silver, and at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he won gold and bronze. At the Games in Brazil he was insulted by other participants.

Other most famous cases of recent years

USA - ATHLETICS

Sean Crawford (USA) - Olympic champion of Athens (200 m) - 2012 (3 whereabouts failures)

Tyson Gay (USA) - three-time world champion - 2012 (Positive test: Exogenous androgenic anabolic steroid)

John Drummond (USA) - Olympic relay coach - 2012 (Possession, trafficking and administration of prohibited substances)

Walter Davis (USA) - world champion - 2013 (3 whereabouts failures)

Debbie Dunn (USA) - world champion - 2012 (testosterone)

Lee Evans (USA) - coach, member of the US Athletics Hall of Fame - 2014 (suspended for recommending doping)

Lashawn Merritt (USA) - Olympic champion - 2010 (testosterone)

Mike Rogers (USA) - silver medalist at the World Championships - 2011 (Methylhexanamine)

Wallace Spearmon (USA) - world champion - 2014 (Methylprednisolone)

A. Tikhonov

In the midst of preparations for the upcoming season, unexpected information appeared on the official website of the Russian Biathlon Union (RUB): four domestic athletes violated anti-doping rules.

Such news came to the RBU from the International Biathlon Union (IBU), which, in turn, received a summary of disappointing data from (WADA).

The Russian organization assured that they would conduct a thorough check of the available information - not only in relation to the athletes, but also in relation to their coaches. The RBU press service also revealed some details regarding the identities of potential dopers:

“We draw the attention of all interested parties to the fact that three of the four biathletes indicated in the letter have completed their sports careers, and one is currently not performing or training as part of the country’s national team.”

While the investigation is underway, the suspected athletes have 14 days to decide whether they are going to contest the charges and file lawsuits, or admit their guilt.

After this period, the SBR will have the right to disclose the names of those caught using prohibited substances and, most likely, will do so.

A warning message has already appeared on the official website of the Russian Biathlon Union:

“The RBU emphasizes its zero tolerance towards anti-doping rule violators and is ready to transparently and openly cooperate with the IBU and WADA in the investigation of all cases in which athletes and specialists working under the auspices of the RBU may be involved in any way.”

The Union also emphasized that the last time Russian biathletes were convicted of doping was almost five years ago - in December 2013.

Shortly after this alarming news appeared, a sports journalist burst out with an insider message on his Telegram channel:

“Names are not officially released until the investigation is completed. But among them is a two-time Olympic champion, an Olympic champion, our biathlon team.

There are 20 names of biathletes in total on this list, but before the IBU Congress, the most prominent ones were chosen. The athletes and the Russian Biathlon Union have 14 days to respond to the charges. But nothing good will happen."

“Another *** with our biathlon!!! Four more athletes are suspected of violating anti-doping rules!!! Big names!!! This has never happened before, and here it is again!!” — a commentator wrote on his Instagram.

Other news, materials and statistics can be viewed on the page, as well as in the sports department groups on social networks

Biathlon 2016/2017, latest news: who is suspected of doping, which Russian athletes were suspended

The day before, on December 22, a meeting of the International Biathlon Union was held in Munich, which resulted in a verdict against the RBU, as well as a number of biathletes whose names were mentioned in the second part of the report of the independent WADA commission led by Richard McLaren.

The expert group of the International Biathlon Union, based on the materials of the second part of the report of the independent WADA commission, temporarily suspended two Russian athletes from competitions.

Their names have not yet been announced, but it is known that they competed as part of the Russian national team at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

Let us note that earlier the media reported that the report of the independent WADA commission did not mention the names of the leader of the Russian team Anton Shipulin, Evgeny Garanichev, and Anton Babikov.

The media also suggest that two Russian biathletes have been temporarily suspended from competition.

Biathlon 2016/2017 Doping scandal: who is suspected of doping, who was suspended

In addition, the International Biathlon Union began an investigation against the Russian Biathlon Union, as well as 29 other athletes who did not compete at the Games in Sochi.

Against the backdrop of an investigation by the International Biathlon Union, the RBU decided to abandon the 2016/2017 World Cup in Tyumen, as well as the 2017 World Youth Championships in Ostrov.

The venues for these competitions will be known later; Belarusian Raubichi is bidding to host the World Cup stage.

Let us add that on December 22, the RBU made an open statement following the results of the extraordinary IBU Executive Committee.

“Under the current circumstances, the RBU considers it impossible to hold the Biathlon World Cup and the Junior World Championships in Russia in the coming months, which were to be held in Tyumen and Ostrov, respectively. The determination of the location of these events remains with the IBU. Competitions should take place in a festive atmosphere, and not among suspicions and rumors. The RBU looks forward to a speedy and thorough investigation by the IBU regarding the information contained in the report of Richard McLaren's commission. In this situation, the RBU will act in accordance with international anti-doping legislation. At the same time, those involved in cases should be punished only if their guilt is truly proven. We hope that in the very near future big biathlon will return to Russia,” says the statement, the full text of which is available on the official website of the Russian Biathlon Union.

Biathlon 2016-2017: who is suspected of doping, who was suspended

Let us note that before the meeting of the IBU Executive Committee there were several solutions to this situation.

These options included the disqualification of individual biathletes, or a complete ban on the participation of the entire Russian team in international competitions held under the auspices of the IBU.

Published 12/23/16 12:05

A LIST of 31 Russian biathletes mentioned in the McLaren Commission report has been released

A list of 31 biathletes from Russia whom the IBU suspects of doping has leaked online. A file with alleged persons on Richard McLaren's list was published by the Italian website NeveItalia.

The document mentions about 40 Russian athletes, contains the results of their doping tests, the place where the test was taken, the result that came to WADA (everywhere it is negative - that is why Russia is accused of substituting samples), and Grigory Rodchenkov’s comments from the correspondence published along with the second part Richard McLaren's report, Life reports.

The list is a selection of Russian biathletes, information intkbbach about which WADA has information, but not only those suspected of doping. So, the best Russian biathlete Anton Shipulin is on the list, but there are no marks next to his name in the “substance found” column.

There are comments about the presence of doping next to the names of members of the Russian national team Ekaterina Shumilova and Ekaterina Glazyrina, who appear in the McLaren report under numbers A0714 and A0241, respectively.

Among the Russian biathletes, Yana Romanova, Olga Zaitseva and Olga Vilukhina were also noted, who competed at the Olympics in Sochi and came second in the relay (Vilukhina also won silver in the sprint). Of the men on the list, Timofey Lapshin is mentioned, who is not involved in the World Cup this season due to health problems. Later, rumors appeared in the media that Lapshin wanted to obtain South Korean citizenship.

The IBU made a decision on Russia: Russia abandoned the Biathlon World Cup stage

The Executive Committee of the International Biathlon Union decided to move the Biathlon World Cup from Tyumen, as well as to change the venue of the Junior World Championship, which was to be held in Ostrov. The IBU also temporarily suspended two Russian biathletes from competitions, whose names were mentioned in the report of the WADA commission led by Richard McLaren, RT reports.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation for Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko, the IBU made a balanced decision in relation to Russia: “A balanced decision was made that allows us to draw conclusions calmly, not on abstract statements and conclusions of one person. The most important thing is that our athletes will continue to perform at the World Cup stages. The RBU and anti-doping services have done a tremendous job to ensure that Russian biathlon is clean and meets international requirements; sweeping accusations and collective responsibility should become a thing of the past. I think if all federations do this, we will see that the first part, associated with thousand lists, should crumble.”

The Russian Biathlon Union refused to hold the Biathlon World Cup in Tyumen this season, as well as to organize the world championship among youth and juniors in Ostrov, writes Gazeta.ru.

The results of the meeting were briefly commented on by IBU President Andres Besseberg. “This is the first important step on the part of the Russian Biathlon Union,” said the functionary. - It shows that the current situation in sports is very serious. Now the biathlon family can focus on biathlon while the investigation continues.”

“Soviet Sport” begins a series of publications about biathletes whose names will definitely be on the “31st list” from WADA.

Olga Pyleva approached the start of the Winter Olympic Games in Turin in 2006 as the leader of the Russian women's biathlon team. By that time, she already had Olympic gold in 2002 in Salt Lake City, complemented by bronze from those games, five victories at the world championships from 2000 to 2005 and a wealth of experience behind her. She was 30 years old and the Turin Games were supposed to be the peak of her career.

The troubles began a month before the start of the Olympics, when the girl was preparing for the main competitions in her career. During one of the training sessions, she fell, twisted her ankle and heard such a frightening crash.

Fell, woke up...

Next was an urgent visit to one of the best German specialists, who worked with the German national team in the 80s, and now is the owner of his own clinic. Inspection. X-ray. And the soothing word is stretching. A week of lazy therapy and everything should heal.

With these thoughts, Olga went to the mountains to continue her preparations. But my leg continued to hurt. The tumor did not go down. I had to train through force, without fastening my boots on my skis - it was simply impossible to stop.

To create a miracle, a miracle doctor was needed. This was Nina Vinogradova, Pyleva’s personal doctor, who has been observing her for the past eight years, including in preparation for the successful Olympics in America.

Vinogradova arrived, examined the leg, realized that everything was serious, and began to bother. The result is an attempt to heal the injury with a medicine called phenotropil. A miracle did not happen, but training became much easier - now the biathlete could at least lean on her sore leg.

On January 25, WADA doping officers arrived at the place where Pyleva trained, took tests and left.

No excuses

At the beginning of February, it was time to fly to the USA - to Salt Lake City. The leg hardly bothered me. Olga felt strong and confident before her first start - a 15-kilometer individual race.

Pyleva was simply magnificent, but still lost first place to her teammate Svetlana Ishmuratova. However, two days later it became known that the doping tests that Pyleva took were positive. The girl was immediately deprived of her silver medal and the right to continue performing at the Olympic Games. Later, a decision was made to disqualify him for 2 years.

According to the athlete and her doctor, a drug called carphedon, which is on the WADA prohibited list, was found in the approved phenotropil. The Shchelkovo plant, which produced the drug, allegedly hid this fact by not indicating doping in the list of ingredients included in phenotropil. The doctor who prescribed this treatment, Nina Vinogradova, was suspended from any medical practice in sports, initially for 2 years, later increasing the period of disqualification to 4 years.

Surprisingly, the situation with the composition of the drug and the doctor who prescribed it to an athlete who did not understand medications did not allow Pyleva to challenge the decision and reduce the period of disqualification.

Soon the girl announced her retirement from her career and began working on television - she hosted the Vesti-Krasnoyarsk program on the regional TV channel Rossiya.

Left as a winner

In 2007, Pyleva decided to return to the sport, began training and tried to appeal the decision, reducing the period of disqualification. It didn't work out. The Court of Arbitration for Sport found no reason to reduce the term. But the decision had already been made. If not this year, then next year. She will be back.

In 2008, Olga again stood at the starting gate. She took part in the European Championship and the Russian Championship. In the same year, Pyleva announced that she would continue to compete under the name of her husband, also a biathlete, Valery Medvedtsev.

In 2009, the first success came - the title of world champion as part of the women's relay. But these were flowers. The berries began to fall in 2010, when she, also as part of the women's relay, became the winner of the Olympic Games in Vancouver. It was possible to end my career even more beautifully - with a flag in my hands, but, despite the huge lead over France, the coaches received the command “Do not take the flag” over the radio - they were afraid of proceedings.