IBU Executive Board Meeting 132

At its 132nd meeting, held in Frankfurt, Germany on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November 2017, the IBU Executive Board discussed proposals from the Technical Committee, Medical Committee, the Legal Committee and the working group established by the extraordinary IBU Congress in February 2017 during the IBU World Championships in Hochfilzen. Moreover the current status of the investigations and result management following the McLaren report was reported and discussed.

Anti-Doping Update

The International Biathlon Union was informed by the International Olympic Committee that the re-testing of samples provided by the Slovenian athlete Teja Gregorin (37) collected during the Olympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010 had resulted in adverse analytical findings (AAFs). The IOC Disciplinary Commission will hear the case at the end of November. After the decision of the IOC Disciplinary Commission, the IBU’s Anti-Doping Hearing Panel will consider further action within its own area of jurisdiction. The IBU Anti-Doping Hearing Panel conducted a hearing in the Glazyrina case in October 2017, the ruling of which has not yet been announced. Glazyrina was provisionally suspended during the IBU WCH 2017 in Hochfilzen.

Based on the investigations following the publication of the McLaren II report, the IOC Disciplinary Commission recently held hearings in the cases against the Russian female biathletes Romanova and Vilukhina. The rulings are yet to be announced. The IOC Hearing against Zaitseva will follow later this months. All three athletes retired meanwhile but where also provisionally suspended by the IBU and will therefore not be competing in the upcoming season or in any qualification events. Upon receipt of the reasoned decision of the IOC Disciplinary Commission pending, the IBU Anti-Doping Panel will consider appropriate consequences under the IBU Anti-Doping Rules.

The Executive Board is pleased to note that all Russian athletes have been included in the IBU registered testing pool since February 2017 and have been tested multiple times in the past months both by the IBU and also by UK Anti-Doping. In preparation of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, the IBU has also implemented all recommendations given by the independent tasks force set up by the General Association of International Federation (GAIFS).

As tasked by the IBU Congress 2017, the Executive Board decided on a proposal of the Legal Committee to amend the IBU Anti-Doping Rules and Disciplinary Rules in order to implement harsher sanctions on National Federations for Anti-Doping Rule violations, such as the reduction of start quotas for federations and higher fines. These new rules will enter into effect as of immediately. (Annexes)

The IBU Executive Board welcomes the recent establishment and goals of the Independent Testing Authority (ITA) under the leadership of the IOC in collaboration with the International Federations. The Board is also pleased to note that the IBU does not automatically accept any Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) by any National Anti – Doping Agency (NADA) but has its own standards. As a result, there are only four (4) IBU TUEs for the time being.

Athletes Committee

The IBU Executive Board decided on a new election procedure for the Athletes Committee that will allow World Cup athletes to vote by secret online ballot.

Sport technical decisions

Based on a proposal from the Technical Committee, the IBU Executive Board has decided the 2020 IBU WCH program and the allocation of the World Cups for the season 2018/2019.

SLO/Pokljuka 03-09.12.2018

AUT/Hochfilzen 10-16.12.2018

CZE/ Nove Mesto 17-23.12.2018*

GER/Oberhof 07-13.01.2019

GER/Ruhpolding 14-20.01.2019

ITA/Antholz 21-27.01.2019

CAN/Canmore 04-10.02.2019

USA/Soldier Hollow 11-17.02.2019

WCH Östersund/SWE 07-17.03.2019

NOR/Oslo 18-24.03.2019

dates to be confirmed)

Good Governance

The IBU Executive Board discussed various important areas of IBU governance, including a review of the IBU’s communications strategy.

Next Executive Board meeting

The next Executive Board meeting will take place on 9-10 December 2017 at the IBU WC in Hochfilzen, and discuss the question of whether any steps should be taken within the IBU based on the outcome of IOC Executive Board decision into consequences to the Russian Olympic Committee following the McLaren report II investigation, which is scheduled for 5-7 December.

An IBU press conference and a meeting with the athletes is scheduled for after the meeting on 10 December 2017.