BIU supports IBU in Safe Harbour safeguarding project
The International Biathlon Union, supported by the Biathlon Integrity Unit, is one of just two international sports federations taking part in Safe Harbour, a collaborative project aimed at strengthening the response mechanism for safeguarding in European sports.
The project officially began on 1 January, with its initial meeting taking place on 28 and 29 January in Brussels. The meeting was set to provide an opportunity to define roles and responsibilities, strengthen collaboration, and set the stage for the project’s initial activities.
Other participants include the International Ice Hockey Federation and 20 European National Olympic Committees, and the project is being co-ordinated by the European Olympic Committees.
Running until June 2027, Safe Harbour aims to enhance safeguarding measures across European sports, encouraging a safer environment for all. Together, the participants will map existing safeguarding practices, identify service gaps, and develop a European response framework to guide safeguarding initiatives across the continent.
Additionally, the participants will create national strategies tailored to the needs of partner countries, providing effective approaches to address safeguarding challenges and offering specialised training programmes to build capacity and expertise.
A major milestone of the project will be the establishment of the European Network for Safeguarding in Sport (ENSS). This online platform will serve as a hub to promote collaboration, share best practices, and ensure the long-term sustainability of safeguarding efforts in European sports.
A series of National Multiplier Events will be organised to raise awareness and share knowledge with a broad range of stakeholders beyond the participants, further amplifying the project’s reach and impact.
The Safe Harbour project is a Cooperation Partnership co-financed by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Programme 2024.
Participation in the project builds on the BIU’s existing commitment to safeguarding, which has included webinars, podcast interviews and outreaches at IBU events.
Greg McKenna, Head of BIU states after the meeting in Brussels: “I was pleased to attend the Safe Harbour project’s inaugural meeting and to see such strong cooperation between international and national sporting organisations. There is a clear and collective commitment to raising the level of safe sport across the European Union. In cooperation with the International Biathlon Union, BIU remains dedicated to strengthening safeguarding measures, and we look forward to contributing to this important initiative alongside our partners.”
Mental Health as a Top Priority
An initial meeting of a newly-established Mental Health Working Group was held on 20 January, as part of an initiative by the International Biathlon Union (IBU) and Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU) to prioritise mental health in athletes, coaches, and support teams.
Good mental health is essential for both wellbeing and performance, and in recognition of the links between mental health, integrity and good governance. The BIU aims to address these challenges in a proactive, integrated manner.
A very experienced group has been formed to address the topic, consisting of:·
· Greg McKenna, Head of BIU
· Lucie Rothauer, Prevention Manager, BIU
· Dagmara Gerasimuk, Development Director, IBU
· Daniel Böhm, Sport Director, IBU
· Anna Kitzbichler, Education Manager, IBU
· Nathalie Santner, Board Member, IBU
· Jessica Jislova, athlete representative
· Katja Mjösund, Member of IBU Medical Advisory Group and sports physician
· Marie-Laure Brunet, external expert, former athlete and now a coach
· Alan Currie, external expert and psychiatrist with significant experience in mental health support to athletes
The working group aims to meet every two months until November, to work on potential pathways not only to enhance mental health services in the sport, but also to promote overall wellbeing throughout the biathlon community.
The programme will be adapted according to the needs of biathlon, reflecting the specificities of an endurance and individual sport.
If you, or anyone you know in the biathlon family, is affected by these issues, you can contact the BIU in confidence at:
The BIU’s good governance project
Good governance is crucial in any organisation, ensuring that transparency, accountability, efficient decision-making and other important ethical and integrity issues are properly considered and integrated into the way the organisation is run.
The BIU has launched a new governance project, with the aim of enhancing governance standards throughout biathlon’s National Federations (NFs). The project involves:
- assessing current governance practices within NFs
- developing a comprehensive governance framework for NFs, including:
- core governance principles
- ethical standards
- compliance guidelines.
Good governance helps NFs act in the best interests of all their stakeholders, beginning with athletes and the sport itself. By demonstrating that an NF is well-run, performance can increase, and financial results improve. Good governance can result in increased revenue and maximise attractiveness to commercial partners.
By implementing good governance principles, trust from athletes, as well as other stakeholders and partners, can be increased.
Taking the lead
The BIU is here to help NFs in defining their good governance goals and support them as they are implemented. As part of these plans, each NF will be asked to nominate a staff member or volunteer to lead on governance matters. This individual can be an existing team member whose responsibilities will expand to include working with the BIU to implement good governance.
This project will be led by the BIU’s new team member Julia Cook, our Governance Coordinator. Julia joins us from the ITA education team and has also recently completed a research project on sports ethics and integrity.
Each NF’s governance contact will work with Julia and the BIU, receiving materials and the continuing support required to enhance organisational governance standards across biathlon.
We welcome feedback on both this project and what good governance means to you.
Mona Brorsson elected to WADA Athlete Council
Olympic gold medallist Mona Brorsson has been elected to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) Athlete Council Group 2 for 2025-2027.
The Swede was amongst eight members to be elected following a two day election held virtually via an online voting platform between 10-12 December. The election was open to International Federation (IF) Athlete Commissions (ACs) and saw 55 out of the 60 IF ACs cast votes.
Brorsson brings significant experience as an athlete who has competed at the very highest level having won gold in the women’s relay at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, silver in the women’s relay at PyeongChang 2018 and silver at the World Championships in 2019. In addition to her athlete experience, her studies in political science and experience from antidoping procedures in biathlon, equip her with the knowledge of how to support the enhancement of antidoping policies.
Speaking about why she wanted to be on the WADA Athlete Council, Brorsson said:
“It would give me a unique opportunity to be a voice for all athletes, to affect and contribute to antidoping policies and be able to fight for fair and clean sport. I would be able to represent my former colleagues, speak up for them, bring forward their views and needs and make sure that their voices get heard at the highest level. My commitment and my experience within my sport makes me a good candidate and hopefully able to make a true difference in the fight against doping.”
The WADA Athlete Council represents, supports, and promotes the voices of athletes on anti-doping matters; and is the avenue for athletes, chosen by athletes, to assume important seats within WADA’s governance bodies. The Council comprises:
· Group 1: Five athletes appointed by the International Olympic Committee’s and International Paralympic Committee’s Athlete Commissions;
· Group 2: Eight athletes elected by the Athlete Commissions of International Federations; and
· Group 3: Seven other athletes, selected by an appointment panel made up by a majority of athletes, to fill skills and diversity gaps
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: [email protected]
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.
