(ATR) The IBU is offering assurances over drug testing at its World Cup in Tyumen after coming under fire for taking the competition to Russia.
The biathlon federation’s decision not to strip Russia of hosting duties in the wake of the state-sponsored doping scandal led to strong criticism from athletes and a boycott of this week’s event by countries including the U.S., Canada and Ukraine.
The IBU today issued a release outlining its anti-doping plans for the World Cup in Tyumen in eastern Siberia, which starts Thursday.
It said all drug tests at the competition would be conducted in accordance with the WADA international standard for testing and intelligence.
"The custodian of the samples taken at the IBU World Cup Tyumen, Russia, is the German sample taking agency PWC (Professional Worldwide Controls) under the supervision of the IBU medical delegate," the federation said in a statement.
"All samples collected at the IBU World Cup will be shipped/flown to the WADA accredited laboratory in Germany [Cologne]."
The US team said last month allowing Russia to host the event sent "an outrageous message of anti-doping indifference to the world". The boycotts followed an IOC decision to suspend Russia from the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, although it lifted the ban last month less than three months after imposing it.
Last week, Ukrainian sports minister Ihor Zhdanov announced that Ukraine was boycotting the World Cup Biathlon Final.
"It’s about an aggressor country that systematically ignores international law, including the ones on the sports field – it does not adhere to anti-doping rules," Zhadonov was quoted by the Kyiv Post as saying on Facebook.
A joint decision not to participate was made with the Biathlon Federation of Ukraine.
Russia’s anti-doping agency, RUSADA, remains non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s regulations – and is some way off achieving it, according to comments made by WADA president Craig Reedie on Wednesday.
"We want to welcome an independent and efficient RUSADA back in from the cold... it’s a pity it is taking so long for Russian authorities to make it happen," he told the WADA Symposium in Lausanne.
The Biathlon World Cup concludes Sunday with the women’s 12.5km mass start competition.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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