(Salzburg) While most Olympic sports have already banned athletes and teams from Russia and Belarus, biathlon has reinforced the isolation of athletes from both countries by banning its member federations.
Posted at 9:29
Russia and Belarus “have violated the humanitarian obligations of member federations”, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) said in a statement.
The IBU also noted that the Russian military invasion “has interrupted the activities of the Ukrainian Biathlon Federation”, so it would be unfair for “attacking countries” to enjoy membership rights while biathlon in Ukraine is disrupted.
Russia is still an active member of most sports federations, including FIFA, which holds its annual congress Thursday in Doha, Qatar. It was unclear on Tuesday whether Russian football officials will exercise their rights to attend and speak to more than 200 other members.
The IBU board decided to suspend its Russian and Belarusian members a week after the end of the World Cup season.
The decisions, which can be challenged before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, will be reviewed “if circumstances change” in Ukraine, and at the IBU congress in September, the governing body said.