Four-time Olympic biathlon champion Alexander Tikhonov emotionally interpreted the words of the Norwegian biathlete brothers Be. Tarjei Be opposed the return of Russian athletes to international tournaments. According to him, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is trying to please Russia because of its financial strength.
“Once the main rivals of the Russians were the Norwegians – we were friends. At the races in Novosibirsk after the 1972 Olympics, we were like one team – we were like brothers.
And they continued to play. We were very good friends, we sat at the same table… Most importantly, we did not listen to any politicians! And be brothers, no one will wave at your words! It will be forbidden to enter the territory of Russia. Do sports and stay away from politics!” – quotes Tikhonov’s words “Championship”.
Recall that the International Biathlon Union (IBU) announced last spring its decision to allow Belarusian and Russian biathletes to participate in the World Cup and IBU stages only as neutral athletes. As a result, the Russians decided to skip these competitions.
In September, the IBU approved the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions until further notice.
Formerly Vitali Klitschko He appealed to the IOC and demanded that the Russians be barred from the Olympics.
Source: Gazeta
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