Russian and Belarussian biathletes banned from IBU events

The IBU Executive Board (EB) met last night to agree on further action against Russia and Belarus in light of the ongoing war against Ukraine and the latest IOC recommendations.

The IBU EB previously decided that it would prohibit any Russian or Belarussian representation, flags, anthems and uniforms at its remaining World Cup and IBU Cup events. In addition, the EB announced it would go beyond the IOC recommendations at that time and only allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutral athletes, with no Nations Cup points being awarded for either of the two nations.

Following the new IOC recommendations, the IBU EB has decided now not to allow the participation of any Russian or Belarusian athletes or officials at its international events until further notice including non-sports events organised by the IBU for its members. The EB will further discuss a potential suspension of the two national federations from their IBU membership, latest at the regular EB meeting on 17 March. The Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) has been relegated to provisional membership already in 2017, which means that there are no events held or planned in Russia until 2026 and no RBU representatives are holding any official’s position in the IBU.

The EB believes this decision is necessary in order to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and the Olympic community and to protect the integrity of IBU competitions and the safety of its participants in sport and non-sports events.

Above all, the EB expresses its deepest condolences on the loss of former Ukrainian biathlete Yevhen Malyshev (19), who died this week serving in the Ukrainian military. The EB once again condemns the Russian attacks on Ukraine and the support provided by Belarus and reiterates its hope for an immediate end to the war.