Former head of the International Biathlon Union (IBU), Anders Besseberg, could have violated the IBU rules to protect Russia's interests, a report by the independent External Review Commission (ERC) revealed on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2021) Former head of the International Biathlon Union (IBU), Anders Besseberg, could have violated the IBU rules to protect Russia's interests, a report by the independent External Review Commission (ERC) revealed on Thursday.
"IBU President Anders Besseberg consistently preferred and protected Russian interests in virtually everything that he did. It is not surprising, or even necessarily a matter for criticism, thatthe IBU President would want one of the sport's greatest powerhouses to thrive (because, he might say, its success would drive the success of the sport as a whole). But in the Commission's view Mr Besseberg's support for Russian interests went well beyond that general concern, and indeed well beyond all rational bounds," the ERC said.
The ERC accused Besserberg of allowing Russian Biathlon Union chief Alexander Tikhonov to remain in office as the IBU first vice-president "even after he was charged with conspiring to commit a serious crime."
"Mr Besseberg gave Mr Tikhonov safe harbour on the IBU Executive Board, even after Mr Tikhonov returned to Russia and was convicted (and then immediately pardoned)," the report read.
The ERC also pointed to the ex-IBU chief's reaction to the Russian doping scandal that enfolded in 2014-2015.
"One would expect a founder member of and the representative of the Olympic winter sports federations on WADA's Foundation board to react with outrage and condemnation to such a betrayal of sport, and commit himself to establishing the scope of the alleged conspiracy and its impact on biathlon, and to bringing all those involved to justice as quickly as possible. However, the evidence gathered by the Commission indicates that Mr Besseberg did quite the opposite, trying his best to downplay the scandal and to belittle and undermine the efforts of those who were striving to ensure an effective and meaningful response," the commission continued.
