Belarusians in Russian biathlon should be legitimized: “medals cannot be taken away”

Our biathlon today is, in addition to the regions that are represented at domestic competitions, also a close connection of two countries: Russia and Belarus. And everyone understands this – it’s necessary, important, and honest. At the end of the national championship in Tyumen, Belarusian biathletes still heard the official performance of their anthem.

These words – “outside the standings” – have always turned out to be an annoying barrier in competition and cooperation, when Belarusian biathletes finished in leading positions in races. No, the winners and runners-up were still allowed to stand on the podium. But it’s quite a shame: without an anthem and medals.

So before the mixed relay, all our teams faced a battle with the Belarusians, who were considered, and rightly so, the main contenders for victory (Anna Sola, Dinara Smolskaya, Dmitry Lazovsky, Anton Smolsky). They won. But gold medals were awarded to the team from the Novosibirsk region (Anastasia Grishina, Evgenia Burtasova, Roman Eremin, Daniil Serohvostov), ​​which finished second in the relay. Also legally, if we go by the current rules. And then Dinara Smolskaya told how Roman Eremin came to visit them in the evening and presented them with a gold medal.

But our biathletes, in addition to Eremin, tried to reverse the ugly situation themselves. And at the Spartakiad of the Strongest, in which Belarusian athletes also participated, the Bashkortostan team, restoring justice, publicly gave the medal for third place to their colleagues: we are fourth, they are third. Pavel Belko, Ivan Tulatin, Dmitry Lazovsky and Anton Smolsky played for the Belarusian team. And for Bashkortostan – Ilya Burlakov, Alexander Babchin, Eduard Latypov and Anton Babikov.

Then Latypov said so: Babikov and I talked with the guys in seconds, the team was unanimous, we handed over the medals to the Belarusians, “because we thought it was fair, fair and sportsmanlike.” And everyone was happy for both the Belarusians and our biathletes, capable, as Anton Smolsky said, of a real manly act.

And then life itself seemed to show the way what to do in the current situation, when there are no foreign starts, but there are foreign participants in our competitions. (Although this sounds somewhat artificial in relation to the Belarusians.) Some time after the medals were handed over, the Russian four were again presented with awards: they found an opportunity to make another set.

Of course, the regional classification is sacred at the domestic start, there is no question. Yes, our championships (not only in biathlon) have not yet become open to legally present awards and prize money to foreign athletes. How much time this will take is a question for the Ministry of Sports.

But this is not just a question of the day. So far, none of the winter international federations, including the IBU, have turned towards Russia and Belarus. You can make forecasts, but you don’t need to; the development of events can be completely different. From accepting possible IBU conditions to refusing them. Belarusian Anton Smolsky, for example, says: we are categorically against neutral status in order to go to the Olympics in a state “on our own” and “simply satisfy our needs for victory.” And one of the leaders of world biathlon, which is Smolsky, would like to have both a flag and an anthem, I want to show everyone that there is “a country – Belarus, which many may not have heard of.”

It is difficult to say when and in what direction the IBU will turn towards our countries. But practice has shown that the rivalry between Belarusian and Russian athletes only benefits everyone. Both for us and for them.

And now, on the podium of the “Pearl of Siberia”, the anthem was played after the victory of the Belarusians in the mixed relay. The ice has partially broken. And the words of many biathletes, including Daniil Serohvostov, about the open championship for the next season, may speed up the further process. The biathlete did not hide his emotions after being awarded for first place in the commentary on Match TV: “They are congratulating us now, they say: “Happy victory, champions of Russia.” But it doesn’t feel like we won. The Belarusians left the shooting when I just arrived at the line! I finished second, the Belarusians won, well, what’s the first place?”

But here it is still important to maintain fairness for both sides. When Anna Sola won the pursuit race without “pedestal consequences,” she said: “It’s very disappointing, sometimes to the point of tears. We should probably unite when we are not allowed there, when we are not allowed here. If we want, we will give medals, but if we don’t want, we won’t. This is very offensive and I think this should not happen.”

And Polina Shevnina received the gold medal and… she was also upset. After the award ceremony she said: I have mixed feelings. And she explained absolutely clearly why. She also laid out how she would like to do everything so that everyone would enjoy the medal without reservations. With the Russian Championship standings, everything is clear; this is not a joint Commonwealth Cup with the Belarusians. But Anna Sola is the champion of the race, and Polina is the champion of Russia. That is, one race has two champions. Polina believes that there is a way out of this situation: did it work out in Zlatoust at the Spartakiad? The national anthem of Belarus is absolutely necessary. And a double set of medals must be prepared. “I respect Belarusians, but our medals should not be taken away either. And they are great, and we are great – above all.”