After a cluster of doping cases, the International Biathlon Union levied the maximum fine allowable in its rules on Russia - 100,000 Euros. It's hard to determine the budget of Russian biathlon, but the fine might represent less than one percent of its resources.
Ekaterina Iourieva will serve a four-year ban on top of the eight-year ban she is already serving; Irina Starykh will see one year added to her existing two-year ban. Both had already tested positive on other occasions. First-time offender Alexander Loginov has been banned for two years, ending in November 2016.
The International Biathlon Union has for the first time confirmed that two athletes under investigation for doping since January are indeed Irina Starykh and Ekaterina Iourieva of Russia. The IBU announced that both women's "B" samples had tested positive for EPO, and disciplinary hearings will be held in the next few weeks.
In a letter to the Russian Biathlon Union, Irina Starykh confirmed that the IBU had notified her of a positive "A" sample. She resigned from the team until the situation is clarified, and also so that she could attend the opening of the "B" sample. Meanwhile, Alexander Tikhonov points out that a doctor sacked in 2009 after a doping scandal was re-hired this year, and was present on the World Cup circuit.
The International Biathlon Union handed provisional sanctions to three athletes who tested positive for banned substances. Russian website Championat is alleging that two are Ekaterina Iourieva, a 2008 World Champion who has already served one doping ban for EPO; and Irina Starykh, currently the top-ranked Russian woman. Across the biathlon world, athletes expressed frustration and dismay.
When FasterSkier in an interview last week. “Pichler, because he’s had big success in Sweden and many years… maybe it was time for him to move.” Past Animosity with Russia While the challenge of coaching a supremely talented yet frustratingly inconsistent group of women may be appealing to Pichler, the move to Russia is puzzling given his past relationship with the RBU. For several years, Pichler – who is outspoken on many issues – very...