The International Biathlon Union has not lifted sanctions on Russian and Belarusian athletes. They will not participate in the competitions

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) will not lift sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes and will not allow them to compete.

This was reported on the Instagram page of the Biathlon Federation of Ukraine.

The IBU Congress has upheld the decision to suspend the membership of the Russian and Belarusian biathlon unions. This decision is in effect from 2022. It can be lifted if the countries meet a number of conditions, including if the athletes distance themselves from the war in Ukraine and are not associated with the Russian Armed Forces.

In June, the Russian Biathlon Union sent documents to the IBU claiming they had met these conditions. However, upon reviewing them, the International Biathlon Union found that the requirements had not been met.

• On July 7, the International Olympic Committee recommended lifting all restrictions on Russian athletes and temporarily reinstated the Russian Olympic Committee. Russian athletes were banned from international competition following the start of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
• Then, on July 14, nine EU countries asked European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef to exclude IOC and international federations that allow Russians and Belarusians to compete internationally from EU funding programs. Despite this, IOC did not change its position.

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