Biathlon, illustration -

Alexey Filippov / SPUTNIK / SIPA

  • A report from the IBU, the International Biathlon Federation, recently shed light on corruption during the tenure of its ex-president Anders Besseberg.

  • The new leaders of the IBU say they are transparent and eager to restore their image.

  • But the biathletes, very committed, remain on the alert.

In a world without whistleblowers and journalists, the 2021 Biathlon Worlds would take place in Tyumen, Siberia, Anders Besseberg (ex-IBU boss) would probably still be there to distribute medals to the winners and the Russian Federation of biathlon to slip tickets into the pockets of some unscrupulous pundits of world biathlon.

It is by this process that it had obtained in 2016 the organization of the Worlds of 2021, while the McLaren report had already cast shame on state doping in Russia: an anonymous source of the World Agency anti-doping (AMA) quoted by

Le Monde

reported while members of the IBU congress had received envelopes ranging from 25,000 to 100,000 euros before a lunar vote where Besseberg "stood up and asked the whole assembly to vote for Russia ”.

Surprisingly, Tyumen collected just the right amount of votes to win in the first round, before seeing the IBU backpedal a year later asking Russia to give up its Worlds.

Besseberg, a hollywood movie

An anecdote among many others about the former Norwegian leader, which deserves to be made "a Hollywood film" to use the formula used by the coach of the French women's team, Frédéric Jean.

Pushed to resign in 2018 under the growing weight of revelations, Besseberg was again caught up in his sulphurous past three years later.

An independent commission set up by an International Biathlon Union in search of redemption - more on this later - issued a damning report on January 28 against its former president.

Where we learn what we already knew, namely that Besseberg "has consistently protected the interests of Russia in all his actions and his speeches, well beyond all rationality."

His prize-money, as one would say in tennis, leaves you speechless: in 16 years of reign, the Norwegian has received at least 200,000 dollars (164,900 euros) from Russian officials, not to mention the no less absurd bonuses which can be counted in hunting parties and prostitutes.

And, to close the chapter, its general manager, Nicole Resch was not left out either.

In 2009, she would have received a box of jewelry from the vice-president of the Russian Federation Alexander Tikhonov, tried to cover up an investigation after the discovery of a syringe containing EPO and more or less covered Evgeny Ustyugov, since stripped of his titles between 2010 and 2014.

Redemption and transparency

To turn the page Besseberg, the IBU chose the Swede Olle Dhalin, 66 years old and member of the steering committee under Norwegian governance.

Not really a model of freshness, but you had to see what was presented in the face.

Her main opponent, Baiba Broka, Latvian, is close to MEP Nils Usakovs, himself leader of the political movement affiliated with United Russia, Vladimir Putin's party.

And in the event of victory, she intended to keep the former vice-president of the IBU the Russian Viktor Maïgurov, who, having a Belarusian passport, had bypassed the ban on presenting a candidate imposed on Russia.

A barely concealed way for Moscow to keep control of the world biathlon.

Trafalgar's coup ultimately ended in failure at the polls, with only 12 votes cast.

Officially freed from the Russian yoke, the new governance takes the opportunity to redeem an image and, barely in power, Dahlin signed a contract prohibiting him from receiving gifts worth more than 70 euros.

He has also quadrupled his salary compared to that of his predecessor (from 30,000 to 120,000 euros annually), a flashy measure to which Secretary General Niklas Carlsson lends moral utility ("this new salary is being implemented so that the president becomes less easy to influence ”) which reflects a certain desire for transparency.

“There were flaws in this area and Olle Dahlin had even made a campaign argument, specifies for

20 Minutes

Christophe Vassalo, French elected to the technical committee of the IBU.

A system was immediately established through the creation of an independent commission, starting with the integrity commission: the BIU, [for Biathlon Integrity Unit], responsible for checking that all the people who are part of the family of the biathlon are of integrity.

It goes from a thorough study of the candidates for the elections, to ensuring the good management of the IBU.

And, in the event that the IBU would encounter problems as in the past, embezzlement or others, these independent commissions will be responsible for alerting so that it does not go too far.

"

Biathletes still skeptical

It takes at least that to restore confidence with biathletes raised like cuckoos after the revelations on Besseberg, a "disaster" according to Johannes Boe.

"I hope that there is a real desire for change because we were all stunned by seeing the full report," scolds Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet.

I laughed yellow because it's so huge.

The speech of French skiers on the eve of the Pokljuka World Championships also reflects an eternal mistrust on the question of doping.

Quentin Fillon-Maillet: “I hope that we are now moving towards an increasingly clean sport.

But there are never certainties, there is always worry.

When I arrived at the World Cup a few years ago, I was told that we were reaching “clean” generations, and despite that there are scandals that come out year after year.

And there will be more… ”

And if Justine Braisaz wants to believe in cleaning up biathlon, others like Emilien Jacquelin are still surprised by the lack of unannounced checks.

“For a world champion who had never won again before last year [on the pursuit], I find it strange that there weren't more checks than that for me.

And, throughout the season, we were very little checked on all the races.

"

Emilien Jacquelin's little tackle on Twitter - Twitter

An old habit: in its 2017 report, WADA pinned down the IBU and its "problematic" system of biological passports while specifying that it was the last international federation to set up out-of-competition controls.

Christophe Vassalo underlines all the same a clear improvement, refers to the "thirty or forty" of unannounced controls per season to which Martin Fourcade was subjected in the time of his splendor and defends that the IBU is not solely responsible for these controls.

“It was involved in setting up the control system, but afterwards WADA delegated its national laboratories to carry out controls.

Everything is not our responsibility.

But when I hear that our skiers are asking for more, I'm happy.

It's nice to see that today, it is not enough for them themselves if there are a lot of controls in place.

"

In the face of so much uncertainty, perhaps the best safeguards for the integrity of the discipline remain the biathletes themselves.

Martin Fourcade has not always been a fan of the label of spokesperson, but he has assumed its status, not hesitating to use his media aura to serve his cause.

We remember the call for a boycott of the Tyumen test in 2017 if the IBU was treated too leniently towards the Russians after the McLaren report was disclosed.

A long-term job hailed by Johannes Boe, who posed as the natural heir of the Frenchman before the start of the 2020-21 season.

“It's important to have people taking a stand.

So far I think [Martin Fourcade and Gabriela Koukalova] have done a great job for our sport and since they have retired, new faces must follow them.

It is up to the authorities to show themselves capable of renewal.

Sport

Doping: Prostitutes, hunting parties and bribes, how Russia "bought" the former president of the biathlon federation

  • Sport

  • Doping

  • Russia

  • Quentin Fillon Maillet

  • Martin Fourcade

  • Johannes boe

  • Biathlon