International Biathlon Union Charges Four Russian Athletes

The IBU Expert Working Group proposed the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) charges following analysis of the Moscow Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) database, together with the WADA Intelligence and Investigation Department, the federation writes in a press release. The IBU’s decision is based on the analytical findings in samples of the athletes collected between 2012 and 2015. These findings are supported by corroborative evidence from the data and information disclosed in the McLaren Report. Alexander Pechenkin, who is the only active athlete among the four charged, has been provisionally suspended. The athletes will now be given an opportunity for hearings at the federation’s anti-doping body. The IBU Expert Working Group is continuing to investigate further potential ADRVs of other biathletes from Russia. The IBU has taken several positive steps to enhance its anti-doping programme in the past couple of months. It defined the criteria which the RBU must satisfy to regain full IBU membership, it partnered with the International Testing Agency (ITA) and the IBU also announced the appointment of an independent External Review Commission. The Commission will conduct a full investigation into all anti-doping, compliance, ethical and disciplinary matters as well as any matters arising from the ongoing investigation by WADA and various national and international criminal authorities. In June, the ADHP verdict against Ekaterina Glazyrina became legally binding. Thus, the IBU remains the only winter International Federation to have prosecuted a Russian athlete based on evidence obtained by WADA. Already in May, the IBU commissioned an external audit of the IBU’s Anti-Doping Programme by the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations (iNADO). The audit concluded the Anti-Doping Programme was of good quality but provided recommendations for operational improvements which the IBU has already begun addressing.