"It can be considered our little victory": the IBU allowed Russian biathletes to use the CBR logo with the tricolor of the Russian Federation

The Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) managed to agree on the use of a colored logo, including the Russian tricolor, on the national team's outfit.

SBR President Viktor Maygurov thanked the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation and the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), which provided the organization with legal and financial support.

“I am glad that we managed to defend our position before the start of the Olympic season, and return from the impersonal monochrome to the colors of the national flag of Russia.

At that moment, when our athletes are deprived of the opportunity to hear their anthem and see their flag at the main competitions of the world for two years, this can be considered our small victory, "the official website of the SBR quotes Maigurov as saying.

In December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) stripped the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) of compliance status and imposed sanctions on domestic sports.

Among other things, these included a four-year ban on the use of state symbols at major international tournaments.

After filing an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne (CAS), the period was reduced to two years - until mid-December 2022.

Immediately after that, the IBU issued a corresponding ban for the Russian biathlon team.

At the same time, it also extended to the SBR logo, under which the athletes performed at the 2021 World Championships in Pokljuka, although there were no special instructions on this in the CAS verdict.

The International Union demanded that the emblem used be monochrome, in its original form it was painted in the colors of the Russian flag.

The decision angered the leadership of the RBU, which considered it contrary not only to the CAS verdict, but also to the principles of the IBU itself.

As an example, it was pointed out that not long before this, the international handball authorities had agreed on the use of the logo of the Russian Handball Federation at the World Championships.

However, the request to soften the requirements was never granted.

Then, immediately after the end of the World Cup, the RBU filed a lawsuit with CAS.

The IBU itself was surprised at such a reaction from the Russian side, considering its demands legitimate.

Nevertheless, the case was accepted for consideration, but it never came to the trial: the organizations came to an agreement and decided to terminate the trial.

The first major tournament in which Russian athletes will start with a colored emblem will be the Summer Biathlon World Championship, which will be held at the end of August in Czech Nove Mesto.

Due to the fact that in February 2022 Beijing will host the Olympics (where athletes will perform under the symbols of the ROC), the winter championship of the planet will not be held in the upcoming season.

At the same time, the IBU stressed that the national team will still not be able to use the full name - the team of the Russian Biathlon Union.

As before, it will be replaced by the English-language abbreviation RBU (Russian Biathlon Union).

“The team will be able to use a full-color logo, it will also represent the Russian Biathlon Union, but the abbreviation will be used.

The case is settled by this agreement ”, - quotes representatives of IBU TASS.

Maygurov added that the example of the RBU, which convinced the international organization of its innocence, may be useful for other federations in the future, given that sanctions against Russian sports will be in effect for another year and a half.

“This is an important precedent - not a single Russian sports federation is insured against such situations, and the experience of the RBU may be useful to some of our colleagues,” the functionary concluded.

However, it is too early to talk about a complete warming in relations.

Recall that in 2017, the RBU was stripped of its status due to a number of doping scandals.

Domestic athletes were allowed to participate in international competitions, but Russia lost the right to host competitions under the auspices of the IBU.

Over the next years, the RBU tried to restore the rights, but it was refused.

After the introduction of WADA sanctions, the process dragged on, and the international union said that the situation would not change until RUSADA received compliance status.

In addition, the Russian side needs to fulfill 12 criteria, including the settlement of financial issues.

At the end of June, the working group on the restoration of the RBU made a report at the next meeting of the IBU, but the issue of lifting the restrictions was not considered there.