BIU work – Biathlon Integrity Unit

Category: BIU work

The BIU’s role in helping NFs achieve and maintain good governance

The BIU is responsible for assisting the IBU in ensuring that good governance practices are developed by all National Federations that are full members of the IBU.

In practice, this means the BIU is there to help NFs in defining their good governance goals, and support them as they are implemented.

In recent years, NFs in other sports have been hit by a series of governance failures that have:

escalated into existential crises for the federations;
and, more importantly, caused direct and lasting harm to the sports and their athletes.

The BIU wants to help ensure that biathlon’s NFs never have to face such crises.

Basic good governance principles

Transparency All NFs and associated organisations should act, and should be seen to be acting, transparently. This means developing mechanisms for clear and open communication, and making regular public disclosures.

Accountability All roles and responsibilities within NFs must be clearly defined, to ensure that ‘I didn’t know’ can never be an excuse for governance failures.

Ethical conduct NFs must adhere to ethical norms and standards, as set out in the IBU Integrity Code.

Compliance NFs must follow IBU and national regulations and guidelines. IBU regulations and guidelines can be found here.

Sustainability The future of biathlon is in the hands of the sport’s wider community. Long-term planning and resource management can help secure biathlon’s sustainability.

Safeguarding Ensuring the safety and well-being of participants and stakeholders is a fundamental and non-negotiable duty of all NFs.

The BIU supports NFs in developing good governance practises through:

Assessment and planning The BIU works with NFs to conduct joint assessments of their governance structures, and identify areas for improvement.

Workshops and training The BIU organises workshops and training sessions on governance best practices.

Resource provision The BIU provides templates, guidelines, and frameworks for governance documentation.

Benchmarking The BIU sets up benchmarks and standards for governance practices.

Peer learning The BIU facilitates peer learning and exchange of best practice among NFs.

Dispute resolution The BIU assists in resolving governance-related conflicts and issues and helps NFs to develop their own independent resolution capabilities.

How can we help you? Get in touch:

Email: info@biathlonintegrity.com

Telephone: +43 662 85 50 50 16

Good Whereabouts habits

Ahead of the new season, we talked to BIU ambassador Chloe Levins about the importance of good Whereabouts habits.

In the BIU’s latest podcast interview, USA’s Chloe Levins explains why she believes that good Whereabouts habits are imperative to comply with the rules of the World Anti-Doping Code and to maintain equality of opportunity in biathlon.

Once biathletes reach a certain level of excellence, and are included in a testing pool, they must abide by anti-doping rules and submit Whereabouts, Chloe explains, adding: “It’s part of the duty they must accept to ensure integrity in the sport… Every athlete has the right to be free of the concern that the competition is tainted or fabricated due to a doping violation.

Chloe stresses the importance of filing Whereabouts information as accurately as possible. This includes detailed information about the address at which an athlete can be found during his or her daily 60-minute testing time slot (for example, hotel room numbers or the name of an apartment where an athlete is staying).

This is especially important out of hours when there might be no one available at the reception of a hotel or apartment block to direct doping control officers to an athlete’s room. “In my experience,” Chloe adds, “it’s always been better to give more information than less.”

Chloe has been submitting Whereabouts information to the US Anti-Doping Agency for seven years. “What’s been really important for me is to have consistency and routine around my reporting practice,” she says. “For example, I have USADA bookmarked on my computer, right next to my training log, and as I update my training log, I also update or check that my Whereabouts are correct.

“Having this routine of pairing your Whereabouts with something that you do every day helps you avoid unintentional mistakes in reporting.”

What if the athlete is in a place without an internet connection? “For those of us that travel year-round, there are certain locations that are notoriously unstable in terms of internet access,” Chloe says. In such a case, her advice is to make use of the SMS text message facility that is available via ADAMS, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Anti-Doping Administration & Management System.

Chloe recommends saving ADAMS, or a national anti-doping organisation, as a contact in athletes’ phones. “There really is no excuse if you don’t have internet connection,” she says. “There still is that ability that you can submit your Whereabouts via text. It’s a great function, and more people should use it.”

Although others, such as coaches or agents, are permitted to submit Whereabouts information on behalf of an athlete, Chloe warns that the athlete remains solely responsible for their Whereabouts, regardless of who submits them. “So,” she concludes, “it’s really important for the athlete to double-check the location and to be where you’ve said you’re going to be.”

To listen to the podcast, click here.

Summer of team spirit

To introduce our Summer of team spirit, the BIU conducted a podcast interview with sport psychologist Katharina Albertin.

What is team spirit? In the BIU’s latest podcast interview, sport psychologist Katharina Albertin describes it as “saying ‘yes’ to a goal and then following it together.” There must be clarity about how this goal is pursued and achieved, along with who takes which responsibility, who has which role and who takes on which task, Albertin continues. The clearer these things are, the better the basis for a good team spirit.

A minimum consensus

In her own work, Albertin says she is often consulted during phases of conflict, or else to prevent problems arising, or to strengthen existing team spirit. “Actually, it’s always about me helping to find out and discuss what the team spirit is like, what the goal is, how it was achieved in the past or what was done in the past and what strategy is being pursued at the moment,” she says.

“For example, are there tasks and roles? Are there responsibilities and are there processes and communication structures. Uncovering this and making it visible within a team is then a very important task.”

Where these structure are missing or damaged, Albertin says that the task is one of “rediscovering, formulating, naming and always negotiating a great deal, especially when it comes to values: what is a minimum consensus and what can everyone say yes to and commit to?”

So how can team spirit help athletes to support each other in making ethically correct decisions when pressure comes from outside that could jeopardise integrity?

“If these structures for self-determination and self-responsibility are in place, then it is also possible to take responsibility together: for safe sport, for fair sport, for clean sport!”

Albertin’s answer is that opportunities for both self-determination and for taking personal responsibility must be provided in a team. “If these structures for self-determination and self-responsibility are in place, then it is also possible to take responsibility together: for safe sport, for fair sport, for clean sport!

“When boundary violations happen, when mistakes are made, it is usually because there is too much pressure on the team or on the individual, or there is an imbalance, some kind of protection is not in place.”

To protect against overstepping boundaries or other rule violations, Albertin says that it’s important “not only to look at these structures within the team itself, but also to see how the structures flow from the team to the coach to the officials. Who represents whom? Does the team have a voice? Does the team have athlete spokespersons or even captains, and not just in games, but who really has a role to play? Do we have a responsibility for the team, and do we also have a place where we can get involved and where we are heard?”

Promoting positive team spirit

How can coaches and support staff promote positive team spirit? Albertin’s answer refers to a well-established psychological theory, self-determination theory, which states that fulfilment of three basic innate human psychological needs, autonomy, competence and relatedness, is required for optimal human functioning.

She says: “These three basic needs are very central. You can actually check them relatively quickly in conversation when you’re out and about with people. Are these needs neglected or do they get a little nourishment? And if we have these three basic needs in mind, and have of course also internalised them in coaches, then we are already safe, which is what actually constitutes the feeling of dignity and self-determination of the individual. These are very important things that coaches can also keep in mind.”

Tips for new athletes

And, finally, with last season completed and a new one approaching, what are Albertin’s tips for making new athletes feel at home in an existing, well-functioning team?

“It’s very helpful when they [new athletes] are welcomed and integrated with rituals.” Says Albertin. “You can explain these codes and processes and structures to the new members and say to them, ‘Hey, what do we need to change this season, what has worked, what hasn’t?’ Of course, this makes it easier for new people to understand. What culture am I entering? What are the values? What are the structures?

“That helps with integration and also helps the remaining team to keep developing and see where we need to adapt and where not. So new people are always an opportunity because you realise a lot of things again. But you also need to be patient and accept that there will be change. And that somehow keeps you fresh and young in spirit and team spirit.”

This podcast interview was conducted in German. To listen to the interview, please click here.

Training in the heat

The BIU talked to Dr Carolin Kilian, a specialist in internal medicine, intensive care and sports medicine, who has many years of experience of working with biathlon athletes and teams, about how to train safely in hot and/or humid environments.

Individual factors, such as hydration status, sweat loss rate, acclimatization and fitness can influence an athlete´s capacity to tolerate and adapt to demanding environments.

However, Dr Kilian has useful advice for all athletes about training on hot summer days, beginning with the obvious: both the duration and intensity of exercise during hot and humid days should be reduced!

Time of day

The time of day can influence athletic performance. For example, endurance performance in the heat could benefit from a lower core temperature in the morning, whereas the optimum time for sprint performance might, according to some reports, be the late afternoon.

In any case, says Dr Kilian, the best time to train on hot summer days is likely to be in the early morning or late afternoon or early evening.

Fluid intake

Sweating rates in hot and humid environments can reach 2L per hour, making a higher fluid intake than normal necessary to avoid overheating. Appropriate fluid ingestion before and during sports activity can minimise dehydration and reduce the rate of increase in body core temperature.

Fluid loss and sweat rate vary widely for different people and different sports, making it difficult to give universal recommendations on fluid intake. Fluid requirement is determined by exercise intensity and heat stress. A higher metabolic rate and a higher heat category cause a higher sweat rate. Changes in body weight, urine volume and colour are all indicators that can help athletes to evaluate their fluid loss through sweating.

In general, Dr Kilian gives the following advice:

Athletes should drink 5-7 ml per kg of body weight, 15 to 30 minutes before exercise
When exercise lasts more than one hour, athletes should drink 10-13 ml per kg of body weight per hour, and after exercise an additional fluid intake of 4 ml per kg of body weight per hour of activity is recommended
Dietary salt intake might be necessary during training or competitions that last longer than two and a half hours

Signs of overheating

Training and competition in hot environments can pose severe challenges to metabolic, thermo-regulatory, cardiovascular and cognitive function, says Dr Kilian.

Severe heat stress can lead to:

Hyperthermic fatigue (abnormally high body temperature)
Weakness
Nausea and vomiting
Dizziness
Headache
Changes of mental state (can lead to loss of consciousness)
Orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure)

Precautions

There is no recognised temperature in most countries in which biathlon is practised above which it is unsafe to train at all, provided that sensible precautions are taken, according to Dr Kilian.

Those precautions can include:

Acclimatisation

Heat acclimatisation can improve exercise-heat tolerance while training or competing in hot and humid conditions, with the duration depending on the difference between the climate at the places of residence and competition. The greater the difference, the longer it takes to acclimatise.

Natural heat acclimatisation is better than artificial acclimatisation, according to Dr Kilian, who recommends a minimum of one week and an optimum of two weeks of acclimatisation. Progress in heat acclimatisation is detectable through a decrease in core body temperature and heart rate, as well as an increase in sweat rate.

Warm-up/precooling

A warm-up period is essential to increase muscle temperature, perfusion (the passage of fluid through the system), and oxygen transport through capillary dilation. A higher body core temperature could lead to earlier heat strain (the overall physiological response resulting from heat stress) and reduced performance. Therefore, precooling through, for example, cold water exposure and/or use of ice vests, is a good way to reduce baseline body core temperature.

Appropriate clothing

In hot weather, athletes need to wear clothing that enables the body to dissipate excess heat and minimize heat gained from the environment. In most cases, it is best to wear as little clothing as possible to maximise evaporative heat loss through naked skin areas.

Clothing worn during the activity should be made of a lightweight, breathable material, through which sweat can easily evaporate.

BIU Publishes Annual Report 2023-2024

The Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU) has released its Annual Report for the period from May 2023 to April 2024, marking a year of heightened focus on governance and prevention.

In her introductory message, Louise Reilly, Chair of the BIU Board, stated, “Our commitment to sustaining a clean, fair, and transparent sport has never been stronger. This document encapsulates our ongoing efforts, strategic advancements, and a renewed pledge to safeguard our athletes, officials, and stakeholders from any form of misconduct.”

Greg McKenna, Head of the BIU, underscored the importance of good governance practices for all stakeholders. “Recent events within our own realm and the broader sports community have highlighted the vulnerabilities and potential consequences of complacency. These lessons reinforce our conviction that strong governance is fundamental to the integrity and future of sports. Our commitment to the Biathlon Family is to foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and fairness. Understanding our community, its unique dynamics, challenges, threats, and risks is central to our mission. Only with insight can we effectively safeguard our sport against integrity threats.”

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the BIU’s operational activities, including key facts and figures. Out of a total budget of €1.97 million (up from €1.70 million last year), 51% was spent on Sample Collection & Analysis, 17% on Operations, 12% on Prevention, 17% on Legal Support, and 3% on the BIU Board.

Key Anti-Doping Statistics

The BIU collected 1,293 samples, with 64% collected out of competition. A total of 338 athletes from 32 nations were tested. The BIU also continued its collaboration with the IBU’s Development Department, emphasizing education for coaches through contributions to the IBU Academy’s Coaches Courses on Anti-Doping, Safeguarding, and other integrity-related matters.

Education Initiatives

As education is key the BIU continued its efforts to educate especially young athletes, through educational activities such as Outreaches & Seminars various IBU Events such as the IOC-IBU development camps, IBU and Junior Cups and Youth and Junior World Championships.

Other Highlights

BIU-NADO Workshop: A two-day workshop for National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) in Salzburg aimed at exchanging experiences, sharing resources, and ensuring high-quality anti-doping work while identifying system weaknesses.
New Athlete Ambassadors: Chloe Levins (USA) and Lovro Planko (SVK) were engaged as new athlete ambassadors to support BIU communication with the community.
Safeguarding Webinar: The “Keep Biathlon Safe” webinar targeted administrative personnel from National Federations, focusing on safeguarding issues. A highlight was a talk by Allison Forsyth, which can be viewed here.
Improved Reporting Hotline: Enhancements to the online platform for reporting wrongdoing in biathlon included a more user-friendly interface and availability in three languages: English, Russian, and German. Access the improved reporting hotline here.
Former IBU President Conviction: Since its inception, the BIU has worked closely with criminal authorities to investigate allegations of corruption by former IBU officials. On April 12, 2024, former IBU President Anders Besseberg was convicted of corruption in Norway, underscoring the BIU’s and government bodies’ commitment to fairness, transparency, and integrity in biathlon.

The full BIU Annual Report for May 2023 to April 2024 can be found here.

The doping control process

How does the doping control process in WADA-accredited labs work, and how do the testers stay ahead of the cheats?

In our latest podcast interview, we spoke to Gunter Gmeiner, head of the WADA-accredited doping control laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria, to find out what are the basic requirements for a WADA-accredited laboratory, and what is the process for testing an athlete’s sample.

As a past president of the World Association of Anti-Doping Scientists and WADA-trained assessor for WADA-accredited laboratories, there’s no one better qualified to explain:

· What happens to an athlete’s sample, after it is taken

· How labs guard against false positive tests

· How labs ensure that samples are tamper-proof

· How the introduction of biological passports has affected the process

· And why samples are stored for up to 10 years.

Click here (The doping control process – Podcast with Gunter Gmeiner (youtube.com)) to listen to the interview.

Time to rest!

Now the racing season is over, it’s important to rest, give your mind and body the chance to recover, change your routines, see family and friends – and maybe even allow yourself a few of those little pleasures that are forbidden during the competition season!

The BIU asked some experienced coaches and athletes for their tips on how to make the most of the off-season.

After the return of the IBU World Cup tour to US soil at Soldier Hollow on 8 to 10 March, the first time competing at home for many US athletes, Armin Auchentaller, Team USA coach, told us that “slowing down the pace after five months of racing and several months of pre-season training is crucial, physically, mentally and emotionally.”

His advice? “Give yourself a chance to heal yourself, either through stillness or many other different opportunities and activities you may have in life, aside from biathlon.”

Team USA’s BIU athlete ambassador Chloe Levins added: “To completely direct your energy to something unrelated to biathlon is the best thing you can do for your brain and body.

“Make sure you continue to eat full, healthy meals during the off-season. Your body worked extremely hard, week after week, during the competition season and needs sufficient fuel to recalibrate.

“Use the springtime to be spontaneous and let your soul roam! Chase after other interests or simply enjoy the peace.”

Jonne Kahkonen, the Finnish coach of the Italian women’s team, spoke to us after helping Lisa Vittozzi to lift her first-ever Total Score crystal globe. After such a demanding physical and mental effort, he values the importance of resting and recovering, not only for those, like Vittozzi, who return from a successful season, but also for the ones who felt like the season could have gone better.

He said: “Even if you are behind and you know you need to work to catch up, recovery dictates how much and how often you can train.

“During the off-season, you can allow yourself to have a little extra, whether it is a nice dessert or some chocolate or candy at the movies – all part of the physical and mental recovery.

“Spend some more time with family, friends and loved ones. Be happy with what you have accomplished, whether you met your goals or not Leave the past behind and look forward!”

Respect the rules: maintain biathlon’s integrity

Two incidents that the BIU has dealt with in recent months have underlined the importance of respecting biathlon’s rules in order to maintain the sport’s integrity.

In one case, an Athlete Support Personnel member participated at an IBU World Cup event using false accreditation.

This issue presents safety and security risks to the wider biathlon family, especially in a sport where firearms are included. It is imperative that access to competition areas is properly controlled.

Consequently, the BIU recommended sanctions for both the Athlete Support Personnel member and the athlete whose accreditation he attempted to misuse, as well as for the national member federation concerned.

In the second case, a rifle containing live ammunition was negligently fired in an athlete’s hotel room (albeit no one was injured) during what was intended as a ‘dry firing’ drill.

It is imperative that safety issues or violations are reported swiftly to an International Biathlon Union official or the BIU.

The BIU recommended sanctions for both the athlete and the national member federation concerned.

In both cases, athletes, support personnel and federations all co-operated in the investigations that followed the incidents and accepted the sanctions without complaint.

Adherence to rules during biathlon competitions is crucial, not only to maintain the integrity and fairness of the sport but also to prevent the necessity for disciplinary actions. By promptly reporting any irregularities or concerns to the BIU or any onsite IBU official, we can ensure that matters are addressed swiftly and effectively. Early reporting can mitigate issues, potentially leading to a resolution that may not require sanctions, thereby preserving the sporting spirit and reputation of all involved parties.

If you are unsure, always report an issue to the BIU at info@biathlonintegrity.com or directly through our anonymous reporting portal:

SUBMIT A REPORT

BIU-NADO co-operation

What are the competencies of a National Anti-Doping Organisation and how do they compare with those of an Integrity Unit?

In our latest podcast interview, Linn Gustafsson, Anti-Doping Coordinator at Anti-Doping Sweden, and Lucie Rothauer, BIU Prevention Manager, discuss the roles of their respective organisations, and what a co-operation and co-ordination programme between the BIU and a NADO looks like.

In the podcast, Linn and Lucie explain how their organisations strive to complement each other through exchanging opinions and approaches in areas such as testing and test distribution plans, to avoid unnecessary double-testing.

They also work together to decide which athletes should be included in registered testing pools (RTPs), with the BIU benefiting from the NADO’s country-specific knowledge, and both organisations able to work more cost-effectively as a result of the co-operation.

With in-competition testing, Whereabouts and anti-doping education also at the centre of their co-ordination efforts, the BIU’s work with Anti-Doping Sweden is typical of the way in which the BIU co-operates with NADOs in the countries in which the sport of biathlon is practised.

To listen to the podcast, click here.

Focus on intelligence & investigation

The BIU held a two-day workshop for National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) in Salzburg this week, as part of a long-term commitment to strengthening co-operation with its closest partners.

The goal of the workshop was to exchange experiences, discuss further sharing of resources and explore how to ensure that the quality of our anti-doping work remains high and identify any weaknesses in the system.

The fight against doping is not only about testing, as the BIU stressed during the workshop and in this podcast interview with Greg McKenna, head of the BIU.

Intelligence gathering and sharing information between organisations is just as important. And co-operation requires an understanding of how anti-doping systems work in other countries, including how NADOs work with law enforcement agencies in their countries.

The BIU will continue to hold regular workshops and meetings with its NADO partners, to ensure that our approach to the fight against doping is always led by intelligence and co-operation.

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