Jan. 28, 2021
The president of the International Biathlon Union told the police that the young woman who had come to his hotel in Moscow was a prostitute, but he was hazy on the details. He did not remember the date or even who had paid for her services, he told the Austrian investigators, but it had assuredly not been him.
The president, Anders Besseberg, had led biathlonâs governing body for more than two decades by then, and he was accustomed to receiving gifts from his Russian hosts. Cash-filled briefcases. Luxury vacations. Frequently, he was even provided with young women as an aide during trips to World Cup biathlon events.
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An independent report commissioned by the International Biathlon Union (IBU) says there is evidence of systematic corrupt and unethical conduct by the former leadership of the sport s governing body in a decade-long cover-up of Russian doping cases.
The report, published on January 28, says that former IBU President Anders Besseberg and ex-Secretary-General Nicole Resch have cases to answer for breach of the IBU s rules, based on their apparent protection of Russian interests, particularly in the anti-doping context, without good justification, between 2008 and 2018.
Norway s Besseberg and the German Resch stepped down in 2018 after Austrian police raided the IBU s headquarters in the city of Salzburg amid a criminal investigation into whether the pair had accepted benefits for covering up Russian doping cases. They haven t been charged with any crime.
Hunting trips, sex and cash: How Russia influenced biathlon s leader courant.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from courant.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Biathlon report outlines corrupt conduct, favors for Russia
January 28, 2021 GMT
SALZBURG, Austria (AP) A report commissioned by the International Biathlon Union stated Thursday there was evidence of “systematic corrupt and unethical conduct at the very top” of the governing body, especially in protecting Russia on doping issues.
The report, published in a redacted version, accuses former IBU president Anders Besseberg of lobbying intensely for Russia’s interests while showing little appetite for pursuing doping cases which might embarrass the country.
It also said Besseberg, who ran biathlon for 25 years, was taken on hunting and fishing trips for free in Russia and had IBU employees transport his trophies home to Norway. The report cites evidence from a police investigation that Besseberg admitted he “received the service of a prostitute” while staying in Moscow, which he believed had been paid for by a third party.
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Biathlon report outlines corrupt conduct, favors for Russia
SALZBURG, Austria (AP) A report commissioned by the International Biathlon Union stated Thursday there is evidence of “systematic corrupt and unethical conduct at the very top” of the sport’s governing body, especially in protecting Russia on doping issues.
The report, published in a redacted version, accuses former IBU president Anders Besseberg of intensely lobbying for Russia’s interests and showing little interest in pursuing doping cases which might embarrass the country.
It also said Besseberg, who ran the sport for 25 years, was taken on hunting and fishing trips for free in Russia and had IBU employees transport his trophies. The report cites evidence from a police investigation that Besseberg admitted that he “received the service of a prostitute” while staying in Moscow, which he believed had been paid for by a third party.