Head coach of the Russian national biathlon team Yuri Kaminsky told Metaratings.ru that the organization of national biathlon competitions last season complied with World Cup standards.
— The season ended with the Russian Championship in Khanty-Mansiysk. Didn’t it seem like there weren’t enough fans?
– There were not enough fans, yes, I would like more. Now the weather is such that people don’t want to travel far, it’s not profitable for them, the political situation is like that. In Khanty, local organizers did not bother, but in Tyumen, for example, they helped. There were special buses that brought fans to the competition. There, tickets were sold for money, in Khanty, admission was free. There was no action to attract fans at all costs, when school children and everyone else gets involved.
Real biathlon fans and connoisseurs came, they got sick. On the plane, I crossed paths with a woman from the Yakut village of Churapchi, who had come to Khanty-Mansiysk especially to encourage our biathletes. If I understand correctly, for everyone, I didn’t specifically ask (laughs).
– Have the supporters lost interest following the suspension of international competitions?
“Our competitions have become much more interesting. All season the strongest were there, it was easy to compare. The fight was very interesting, especially the mass start in Khanty-Mansiysk, which was like the World Cup in intensity, many people say. I would like to see our athletes in comparison with foreign athletes, but what can you do. In this situation, true fans also find great interest in themselves.
– The Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) managed to spend a full season?
– Certainly! At the organizational level, the season has been very good. All departures corresponded to the level of the World Cup. I was not only in Rybinsk. I watched it on TV – the picture was normal, at World Cup level. And some think we were at the level of the best starts in the World Cup.
The organization, in my opinion, was really high. Not only RRF, but also local organizations reacted qualitatively. We have a very solid infrastructure, one of the best in the world. Although each place has its drawbacks. I hope that the organizers will work and that everything will be fine. The main thing is that there is a will to organize races at the highest level at all points,” said Kaminsky.
In early March 2022, the International Biathlon Union announced the suspension of Russian athletes from competitions under its auspices until the end of the 2021/22 season. The suspension was later extended until the following season.
All competitions at the stages of the Cup and the Championship of Russia, the Commonwealth Cup of the last biathlon season were broadcast by the Match holding television channel, and were also broadcast on the websites sportbox.ru and matchtv.ru .
Metaratings.ru
Source : MatchTV
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