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BIU publishes annual report 2022-2023

BIU publishes annual report 2022-2023

The Biathlon Integrity Unit today published its Annual Report for the period May 2022 to April 2023, a year in which the BIU’s focus has been on prevention of wrongdoing.

In her introductory message to this, the BIU’s third annual report, Louise Reilly, chair of the BIU’s Board, comments: “Our approach is not about retribution. It is about anticipating and attempting to prevent integrity breaches from occurring in the first place. It is about being pro-active, so that everyone in the Biathlon community knows from the outset what is expected of them and how to play fair.”

Out of a total budget of €1.70 million (compared with €1.76 million last year), the report shows that 58 per cent was spent on Sample Collection & Analysis, 14 per cent on Operations, 13 per cent on Prevention (up from 11 per cent last year), 9 per cent on Legal Support, 3 per cent on the BIU Board and 3 per cent on Other.

In the field of anti-doping, the BIU collected 1,389 samples, of which 64 per cent were collected out of competition. In total, 418 athletes from 33 nations were tested (compared with 341 athletes from 31 nations last year).

However, in the report, Greg McKenna, Head of the BIU writes: “We are aware there may be a misconception that the BIU’s work is almost exclusively concerned with anti-doping testing. The truth is that there is much more to the BIU’s work than testing. As I explained in a podcast interview recorded in February 2023, the BIU seeks to support the Biathlon family in protecting the integrity of the sport, and, aligned with that, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all participants.”

The podcast can be found here.

The BIU believes that education is a key component to all prevention activities, and starting this year, a new focus was set on two important integrity topics, in addition to Anti-Doping: Match-Fixing (Competition Manipulation) and Safeguarding.

The BIU also continued its collaboration with the IBU’s Development Department, with a particular emphasis on Coaches through its contribution to IBU Academy’s Coaches Courses. The focus was on educating young athletes, through educational activities at IOC-IBU development camps, IBU and Junior Cups and Youth and Junior World Championships.

Other highlights of the year included:

·         A new video explaining what the BIU is, how it works and how it can help athletes and all members of the Biathlon Family. The video can be viewed here;

·         A new Safeguarding survey by the BIU, which found that nearly three-quarters of Biathlon’s National Federations that responded to the survey had a Safeguarding code of conduct in place;

·         An outreach, including a quiz, on Competition Manipulation at the 2022 Summer Biathlon World Championships in Ruhpolding, Germany;

·         For the first time, the BIU took responsibility for overseeing the process of electing officials at an IBU Congress, after the BIU Board was asked to act as the election committee;

·         The introduction of a mandatory ‘Biathlon Integrity Certificate’, which aims to ensure that everyone dealing with athletes has a basic knowledge of integrity and anti-doping matters;

·         An agreement with the Switzerland-based sports tech and data firm Sportradar to use the specialist equipment provided by its Sportradar Integrity Services (SIS) division to monitor IBU competitions;

·         The addition of Dr. Tanja Haug, a sports law expert with more than 20 years of experience, to the BIU’s Board;

·         The introduction of a ‘Whereabouts Certificate’ that all athletes that are part of the IBU’s Registered Testing Pool must obtain by completing an online course;

·         The recruitment of two new BIU Athlete Ambassadors: Chloe Levins (USA) and Lovro Planko (Slovenia);

The BIU Annual Report May 2022 to April 2023 can be found here 

 

Note to editors

The Biathlon Integrity Unit is an operationally independent and specialised unit of the International Biathlon Union. It was established in 2019 in order to ensure all of Biathlon’s stakeholders can have confidence that ethical issues in the sport will be addressed independently and expertly.

 

Safeguarding webinar

The BIU held a successful safeguarding webinar on 31 May, 2023.

Entitled ‘Keep Biathlon Safe’, the webinar covered the important topic of what organisations can and should do to prevent harassment and abuse and was mainly aimed at administrative personnel from National Federations. These included safeguarding officers and others responsible for safeguarding, or those with significant levels of contact with athletes and coaches.

The centrepiece of the webinar was a talk by Allison Forsyth from ITP Sport and Recreation, who shared her own experience of sporting abuse, and talked about how sports organisations can help minimise the risks of other athletes experiencing such traumatic abuse.

Kirsty Burrows from the IOC Safe Sport Unit also made an important contribution to the seminar, presenting the IOC’s mission and role in safeguarding to further strengthen safe sport.

Kirsty Burrows said: “Safeguarding is a topic of crucial importance to the Olympic Movement. We recognise that previously there may have been a consideration that because sport is so good and attracts so many people, that sport would somehow be protected from harassment and abuse occurring within it. However, we know that this is not true. Harassment and abuse occur in all sports, in all sport disciplines, in all countries around the world.”

Allison Forsyth said: “We need to stop cultural normalization of abusive behaviour, which is behaviour that have been accepted in sport usually as game play tactics and/or coaching tactics. Many of these behaviours can lead to maltreatment, including rituals (hazing).”

This seminar is one of the several initiatives taken by the BIU to educate and support our National Federations to implement a robust safeguarding programme. 

 

Be smart – train smart

How do biathletes train? How should they train? And how can they avoid overtraining?

In the BIU’s latest podcast interview, Andrea Zattoni, who has been working as a coach with the Italian Winter Sports Federation for 15 years, discusses training (both during the season and in the summer), how to spot the signs of overtraining, maintaining a good balance between training and recovery, and the importance of training smart, versus training hard.

Greg McKenna, Head of the BIU comments: “Providing athletes with education on training smart promotes integrity by instilling discipline, self-awareness, and resilience. Athletes who train wisely, listen to their bodies, and avoid shortcuts build physical and mental strenght, hence resist pressures to cheat or take performance-enhancing drugs”.

Click here to listen to the interview.

 

IBU and BIU take note of the Økokrim announcement on Besseberg case.

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) and the independent Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU) take note of the announcement by (Økokrim), the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime, that Anders Besseberg, former IBU President, has been indicted on charges of aggravated corruption.

The IBU and the BIU have worked closely with the Økokrim on this complex and long running case and will continue to offer their full and unconditional support in reaching a resolution.

The IBU Executive Board appointed an independent External Review Commission (ERC), chaired by Jonathan Taylor QC, in November 2018 to conduct a full investigation into allegations made against Mr Besseberg.  The ERC was independent from the police investigations.

Following an exhaustive investigation, the ERC concluded that Mr Besseberg had a case 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.

The BIU now continues the work started by the ERC.

The Økokrim media release can be found here:

https://www.okokrim.no/former-president-of-the-ibu-international-biathlon-union-indicted-on-charges-of-aggravated-corruption.6592891-549344.html

The Biathlon Integrity Unit is an operationally independent and specialised unit of the International Biathlon Union. It was established in order to ensure all of Biathlon’s stakeholders can have confidence that ethical issues in the sport will be addressed independently and expertly.

Nutrition for the Off-Season

During the season, biathletes need to focus on their diets, as their overall athletic performance depends on how well they fuel their body. Biathletes should focus on the quality of food they eat and refuel when their body needs it. A good mixture of enough carbohydrates and proteins is crucial: carbohydrates give your body the energy it needs, and protein helps to repair and build muscle.

However, it’s important to find a balance between following a diet and allowing room for comfort eating: With the 2022-23 season having reached its conclusion, BIU Athlete Ambassadors for integrity matters Anastasiya Merkushyna (Ukraine) and Sebastian Samuelsson (Sweden) are encouraging athletes to drop the diets, eat healthily – and relax.

Sebastian said: “As a biathlete your body is what you work with. Therefore, it’s important what you eat. But I also like to relax a lot and spring is a time where you don’t have to think about dieting at all!”

The off season is also the time where you can do something for your mental health and wellbeing, and therefor Anastasia states: “We need good food to top up our energy levels, but in spring we also need to think about our mental health, and sometimes the easiest way to do that is just to eat food that is delicious without worrying about how much we eat.”

 

Nutrition and recovery

 

Eating right over the summer will help you to be at your best when next season comes around

Preparation is in full swing, and it’s easy to forget the importance of good nutrition for short- and long-term recovery.

Biathlon is an endurance sport in which you burn high amounts of energy, whether in competition or during summer training. It’s important to eat enough calories and drink enough to stay hydrated.

But remember: what you put into your body directly affects how it will perform. Fuel it properly, and you’ll have the energy to compete at your best when the season comes around.

Food-first nutrition

Some athletes look to nutritional supplements to help them reach their peak performance. But if you don’t need them for medical reasons, why reach for supplements? All you need to fuel your body properly is the right food.

For instance, most athletes try to limit processed food because it contains artificial ingredients and, often, high amounts of sugar. You can get most of the vitamins and minerals you need directly through your food by including lots of fresh products in your diet.

When it comes to post-exercise food, many athletes are fans of the simple PB&J (peanut butter and jelly sandwich), especially with whole-wheat or whole-grain bread (also a good to-go snack). For those athletes, the PB&J is the perfect way to top up their nutrition straight after exercise.

Post-exercise recovery tips

So here are some post-exercise recovery tips that will help you reach peak condition for next season:

·         To help recover muscle energy for training sessions less than eight hours apart, eat as soon as possible after exercise, and every 15 to 30 minutes for up to four hours; 

·         Choose higher-carbohydrate foods, such as bagels, pasta, fruits, yogurts, cereal with low-fat milk, peanut butter, sports drinks, granola bars, French toast, sub sandwiches, baked potatoes with chili, and smoothies made with fruit, fruit juice, yogurt and frozen yogurt; 

·         Include protein to aid muscle recovery and promote muscle growth; 

·         If you can’t consume solid foods as soon as possible after exercise, try two to four cups of a sports drink, then consume solid food within four hours of finishing exercise

·         And finally, consume 1 – 1.2g of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per hour for the first four hours after glycogen-depleting exercise. And be sure to rehydrate as well. 

 

Follow these nutrition tips in your summer training, and you’ll go into the season ready to compete in peak physical condition.

BIU reinforces commitment to protecting clean athletes

As the IBU Biathlon World Championships get underway in Pokljuka, Slovenia today, the Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU) has underlined its ongoing commitment and dedication to protecting athletes’ rights in a clean sport – in this new era for biathlon.
Despite the global pandemic, the BIU has worked hard to ensure that the testing process within biathlon has continued with as little disruption as possible. During 2020, the Unit conducted 1,836 anti-doping tests, which compares with 2,098 conducted the previous year (2019). Due to public health restrictions, the capabilities of the BIU’s sample collection partners, varied from country to country.
However, while the total number of tests was slightly reduced, the BIU took a more strategically targeted approach to ensure there was no reduction in the quality or effectiveness of the anti-doping programme. This approach has been applied to this year (2021). In January 2021 the BIU testing programme comprised 272 tests, which equals 80% of the tests carried out in January 2020 which wasnt affected by the pandemic.
The BIU will continue to improve its testing programme and ensure that clean athletes continue to be protected. Testing is part of a broader, enhanced and progressive anti-doping strategy that relies not solely on in- or out-of-competition testing, but also on investigations and information sharing, whistleblowing, the Athlete Biological Passport, education and other means to protect clean biathletes.
The BIU is embracing a holistic approach to anti-doping that encompasses a variety of different tools – not testing numbers in isolation – which, together, aim to detect, deter and prevent doping, and that work towards one overarching mission: restoring trust and confidence to our sport.
The BIU looks forward to communicating its broader, progressive anti-doping strategy to biathletes and others within the sport and always welcomes direct feedback.

 

BIU Statement on post External Review Commission Inquiries

Following the International Biathlon Union’s (IBU) publication of the External Review Commission report into allegations of wrongdoing and corruption on 1 February, the Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU) is conducting its own ongoing inquiries into the matters highlighted by the report. 
The BIU is currently examining the full unredacted copy of the report, together with all supporting evidence, to determine whether to undertake any further investigations and whether to bring disciplinary charges for breach of the IBU rules that were in place at the relevant time. As is the BIU’s prerogative, we will conduct all our enquiries independently and impartially.
The BIU will provide any findings of rule violations and other breaches to IBU rules to its board, along with a recommendation by the Head of the BIU.  The BIU Board will then consider the findings and determine whether or not, subsequent action is required.  
The BIU will continue to provide updates on our progress. 

 

IBU Press Release – Publication of ERC Final Report

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) today published the final report of the independent External Review Commission (ERC), as a demonstration of the federation’s commitment to ensuring allegations of wrongdoing are thoroughly investigated in a fair and transparent process. The final report can be found here.
The IBU Executive Board appointed the ERC, chaired by Jonathan Taylor QC, in November 2018 to conduct a full investigation into the allegations made against former IBU President Anders Besseberg and former IBU Secretary General Nicole Resch. The ERC’s terms of reference can be found here. 
Following an exhaustive investigation, the ERC concluded that both Mr Besseberg and Ms 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.
Parts of the public version of the report have had to be redacted for legal reasons. The ERC has supplied a full unredacted copy of the report, together with all supporting evidence, to the Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU). Under the new IBU Constitution adopted in 2019, the BIU has the sole responsibility to determine whether to undertake any further investigations and whether to bring disciplinary charges for breach of the IBU rules that were in place at the relevant time.
ERC Chair Jonathan Taylor said:
“This final report stands as a case study for the importance of good governance in sport. The complete lack of basic governance safeguards previously in place at the IBU meant the former IBU leadership was able to operate without checks and balances, without transparency, and without accountability. The report shows why all integrity decisions should be made by an independent body that is dedicated solely to protecting the ethical values of the sport, not by an executive board that has to deal with a number of conflicting interests.
“However, the Commission commends the new IBU President and Executive Board members for addressing these issues. The IBU has strengthened the constitution and moved forward in line with international best practice, to minimise the chances of wrongdoing like this recurring.”
IBU President Olle Dahlin said:
“We are shocked by the wrongdoing that has been described in the External Review Commission’s report. But, we are grateful to the Commission for bringing this evidence to light and ensuring that misconduct within our sport is accounted for.
“Thanks to the creation of the Integrity Unit and numerous governance reforms we have introduced in the last two years, we now have the safeguards in place to ensure this kind of wrongdoing does not happen again. But we will not be complacent and will continue to work hard to stay at the forefront of international best practice, upholding the highest standards of good governance.”
BIU Chair Louise Reilly added:
“The conclusions of the External Review Commission are deeply troubling and will be thoroughly reviewed by the Unit. It is precisely to detect and prevent instances such as these occurring that the Unit was created, to ensure all of biathlon’s stakeholders can have confidence that ethical issues in the sport will be addressed independently and expertly.
“The Integrity Unit will also analyse the extensive evidence collected by the ERC and determine whether to bring proceedings for apparent violations of the IBU rules independently, impartially, and without fear or favour, thereby upholding our responsibility to protect the integrity of the sport.”

A New Year’s Message from the Head of the Biathlon Integity Unit

Dear Biathlon Family,
 Despite the global pandemic, at the Biathlon Integrity Unit we have maintained a robust in and out of competition testing programme. However, as a modern sports integrity unit, our testing programme must evolve to lead with the most progressive and holistic approaches to anti-doping, and that means ensuring we are equipped to deal not only with those who cheat, but more importantly, those who encourage and support cheating within our sport. 
 This means that, as we enter 2021, testing within our sport will become more unpredictable and targeted, using the best information and cutting-edge intelligence analysis. That means working closely with those across our sport to maximise the impact of our anti-doping effort. As we begin 2021, I want to send a message that anti-doping is a team effort, and make clear that everyone involved in Biathlon must be part of that anti-doping team if we are to foster, and maintain a clean, fair sport for all. You may be someone who tells us about an individual’s behaviour, or you may have concerns regarding a persons welfare. Any piece of information, no matter how big or small, could make all the difference to the healthy culture we are trying to foster in our sport.
 Alternatively, you may be somebody who feels that they are stuck in a doping trap; that person who, due to pressures, has starting taking a prohibited substance and now feels as though they have nowhere to turn. Regardless of the information you provide, we are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to speak to you in absolute confidence – we can help you make biathlon a better sport for all. If you prefer, you can contact us anonymously, through our whistleblower portal, located on the  BIU website. We can and we will provide you with the support you need. 
 Throughout the remainder of the 2020 – 2021 season, we will provide you with more detailed information on how we will be protecting you and integrity of our sport, through our analysis of race results, work with WADA-accredited laboratories, intelligence collection and investigation work. In the meantime, keep in touch and I wish you the best of luck for a healthy, more prosperous 2021.
 
Yours, Greg McKenna
 Head of Biathlon Integrity Unit
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