"I think there will be a CAS decision on our claim in January."

The first stage of the Russian Biathlon Championship starts in Izhevsk on January 8. It will be the first official competition in this sport in 2026. However, our biathletes have already entered the track this year — in the first days of the month in Ryazan, together with skiers, they took part in the Technonicol exhibition competition. The Race of Champions". In an interview with Izvestia, Viktor Maigurov, President of the Russian Biathlon Union (RBU), shared his impressions of the event, commented on the admission of the first skiers to international competitions and told when to wait for the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne (CAS). In December, the RBU filed a lawsuit appealing the decision of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) not to allow Russians to their competitions.

— How did you like the last "Race of Champions" in Ryazan?

— On the one hand, the event is unusual. There are few places where skiers and biathletes compete together. And the "Race of Champions" is organized on time, and not for the first year — during the New Year holidays, ski racing and biathlon should be inseparable from each other.

I am glad that the best of the best in both sports have gathered in Ryazan. It turned out to be a celebration for the athletes themselves, and, first of all, for the audience — thank them for coming to the competition. This thousands-strong support from the stands is very important for the participants. Many athletes have never experienced this when they run in front of several thousand people. Of course, this is very important for them.

— Will it be possible to hold such an event in early January and in the future, when biathletes and skiers will be fully admitted to the World Cup stages?

— I think you can always find some window in the athletes' calendar to hold this event. Yes, on the one hand, we hope to return to the international arena. But on the other hand, until this happens and until international competitions are held in Russia, we would be happy to hold domestic competitions for our fans, where the best skiers and biathletes participate.

— Last season, many biathletes noted a fairly dense calendar of the season with a large number of stages of the Cup of Russia and the Commonwealth Cup. Why have their numbers been reduced this season?

— We have reduced the Commonwealth Cup by only one stage, the Russian Cup by two. This was done at the request of athletes and coaches who believe that there are quite a lot of starts. In fact, if we take the number of races, we have reduced it by three or four starts out of 40.

"We support the skiers, but the biathletes have no chance of getting there"

World champion Anton Babikov — about the participation of two Russians in the Tour de Ski and the admission of biathletes to the international arena

— How satisfied are you with the attendance of the domestic biathlon competitions?

— Quite a lot of people go to Zlatoust, Tyumen, Demino, maybe less in Khanty-Mansiysk. In Ryazan, at the "Race of Champions", we saw the maximum that could be gathered at this time in this stadium.

— Are you communicating with colleagues from the ski federation regarding the admission of two of their athletes, Daria Nepryaeva and Savely Korostelev, to international competitions? Since December, they have been competing at the World Cup stages in a neutral status. Do you have any understanding of the atmosphere around them?

— We know this situation. A normal environment. The most important thing for us is that skiers are allowed in. And that, in general, everything is fine with them.

— Does this increase the chances of the ban from biathletes being lifted soon? Nevertheless, one of the main arguments in favor of the suspension of Russian athletes from 2022 was the negative attitude of the local public towards them in Europe.

— When there are proceedings in court, few people there give in to emotions. Yes, then, when athletes are admitted, some international federations may look at the actions of other international federations. Nevertheless, as a rule, these issues are considered separately in each sport.

— Do you believe that in 2026 at least some of the Russian biathletes will start competing in international competitions?

— I think there will be a decision in January.