April 12, 2018 (Salzburg, Austria) – The International Biathlon Union has confirmed that the Austrian Federal Criminal Police raided the IBU headquarters in Salzburg, Austria on April 10 in an investigation focussing on IBU President Anders Besseberg and IBU Secretary General Nicole Resch who are alleged to have taken payments from Russian authorities in order to cover up positive doping tests ahead of the Sochi Olympics, according to a report from Le Monde. titled “How Russia bought the International Biathlon Union.”

The Le Monde The report claims that Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov told World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) investigators that in 2013 payments began to be arranged to “ensure Russian interests” in biathlon. How many banknotes can you fit in a diplomatic suitcase ? reads the report… apparently Russia has been infiltrating the IBU for many years, in a similar pattern with what happened in athletics.

The New York Times drew attention to Besseberg’s sympathetic attitude towards Russia recently, especially regarding that country’s ban from the 2018 Winter Olympics, which he declared “largely a symbolic suspension that did not limit Russia’s ability to host events.”

The IBU and Besseberg, were under even more scrutiny recently for holding the federation’s World Cup finals in Tyumen, Russia, despite ongoing criticism regarding the Russian doping scandal. Many countries including Canada and the United States boycotted the competition.

According to an IBU statement, Resch has “requested a leave of absence from her role(s) within the IBU,” and Executive Director Martin Kuchenmeister will serve as acting Secretary General in her absence.

The IBU “is taking the matter (of the raid) extremely seriously and continues to be committed to operating under the highest standards of good governance and transparency,” stated the release.

A more recent posting on the IBU website states, “The Secretary General of the International Biathlon Union Nicole Resch is provisionally suspended as long as the investigation is ongoing. The IBU President Anders Besseberg has informed the IBU Executive Board that he is stepping down from his position as long as the investigation is ongoing.”

Le Monde here.
Around the Rings here.
Inside the Games report here.
New York Times report here.