Former IBU head Anders Besseberg sentenced to prison for indulging in doping

Former International Biathlon Union (IBU) President Anders Besseberg was sentenced by a Norwegian court on Friday to three years and one month in prison. Mr. Besseberg was accused of ten counts, in the description of which the court mentioned the receipt by the former head of the IBU of expensive gifts in the form of luxury watches, hunting trips at the expense of the host and the services of prostitutes. Mr. Besseberg, the Norwegian court claims, received expensive watches and women, including in Russia.

On Friday, the Norwegian provincial court of Buskerud handed down a decision in one of the most controversial cases in world sports. The person involved is the former President of the International Biathlon Union Anders Besseberg (he was the initiator of the creation of the IBU and its head from 1993 to 2018).

The court ruled that Mr. Besseberg must spend three years and one month in prison. A harsh sentence, considering that Besseberg was already 77 years old.

Investigation into the Besseberg case began back in 2018, but officially the charges were presented only in 2023. The reason for starting the investigation was information provided to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) by the fugitive former head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov (now hiding in the USA). He, among other things, claimed that IBU bosses covered up for athletes who used doping.

According to the prosecution, Anders Besseberg, in exchange for providing him with material benefits, provided cover for doping stories involving athletes from countries friendly to the Norwegian. Among them, as follows from the court materials, are Austria and the Czech Republic. But the main emphasis is still placed on Mr. Besseberg’s relations with Russia, cooperation with whose representatives, the court believes, brought him the greatest benefit.

Based on the court’s decision, it turns out that Anders Besseberg had three passions in life – expensive watches, hunting and prostitutes.

Thus, back in 2018, during a search of Besseberg’s house, 13 luxury watches were discovered. He was able to explain the origin of only five of them. According to the court, at least two copies (the Omega and Ulysse Nardin brands are mentioned in the court materials) were received from the leaders of the Russian biathlon (the watches in question were not really expensive and cost about €3.5 thousand per copy).

In particular, the court decision mentions the former president of the Russian Biathlon Union, four-time Olympic champion Alexander Tikhonov, who allegedly gave Mr. Besseberg a Ulysse Nardin watch in 2013. Mr. Tikhonov denies this. “I already told him, looking him straight in the eyes, that he would end up in disgrace and prison. As for the fact that he acted in the interests of Russia, this is complete idiocy. How could he take bribes if he literally hated me? He himself said that I created a lot of problems for him,” said Alexander Tikhonov TASS.- Yes, and I couldn’t stand this drunkard and libertine, but here they say I gave him some kind of watch. Yes, they could set the table for him here or take him to the bathhouse. And he himself was involved in prostitutes, it’s his illness.”

Nevertheless, the court concluded that Mr. Besseberg still participated in the hunt organized by the Russian side. The episode took place in 2013 in Tyumen. As for the services of prostitutes at the expense of the receiving party, the court decided that at least two cases had been proven. They took place in 2016 and 2018, and both happened in Russia.

Let us add that the IBU favorably received the court’s decision. “The IBU has taken note of the verdict in the Besseberg case and welcomes the conclusion of the trial, which means that a very troubling period in the federation’s history is coming to an end,” the IBU said in a statement.

Alexander Petrov