The expected barrage came right after the verdict. “Bastards, they are afraid of us,” Russian running and biathlon legend Anfisa Reztsova told the congress delegates.
In addition to the salvo of words about the alleged discrimination of Russians and Belarusians by the West or the incomprehensible reactions about the connection between the Russian invasion of Ukraine and biathlon, the Russian representative and world champion Anton Babikov, for example, boldly went out of his way with his comments.
“I don’t know if anyone expected anything else from Congress. I honestly did not expect that they would allow us to start. I mainly want the whole world to be friendly to each other, so that everyone can live in peace. To deal with problems like hunger, climate and things like that. Not to go to war,” Babikov appealed completely against the spirit of official Russian rhetoric on the Matč TV server.
“I want people to be able to live and have a good time. This worries me far more than what the IBU leadership or anyone else is saying. Maybe this is wrong, but should I be angry or offended by IBU? I don’t see the point in it,” he added.
The Russian and Belarusian elite were caught up in the crucial statement of the congress at the joint races, loftily called the Commonwealth Cup, in the summer version of this sport in Raubič, Belarus, where, among other things, Dinara Alimbekova celebrated gold in the race with a mass start. She listened to the Belarusian national anthem with tears in her eyes and then confided that she didn’t really mind being excluded from the international scene.
“It was expected and I have no other emotions about it. I don’t think we’ll be back in international racing any time soon. And honestly, I don’t even want to go back now,” said Olympic champion Alimbekova.
“I don’t know if this mood will pass or if it will last forever, but I don’t want to go back now. I am satisfied with how I train, how Belarus competes with Russia. And I spend a lot more time with friends and family. It would be a sin to complain about it,” she praised herself.
