The offseason of Russian biathlon turns out to be scandalous: complaints about the salaries of athletes, the departure of one of the sponsors, criticism of Dmitry Guberniev and other topics have from time to time blown up the field of information when it seemed that it should not be.
President of the Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) Viktor Maigurov told why it is impossible to satisfy all the desires of athletes, said that the CSP could financially help Anton Babikov, Alexander Loginov and Alexander Povarnitsyn, who train on their own, and also spoke about relations with Guberniev.
“Winnings can be saved at the expense of deductions from bookmakers”
“What is your reason for coming to the Seminsky pass?” Will you organize meetings with coaches and athletes?
– Naturally, a meeting with the athletes and coaches is planned, since half of the preparatory season has passed. Let’s listen to the coaches’ reports. For my part, I will tell you about the coming season, about what will happen to the international situation. We will also start preparing for the coaches’ council, which will be held in September. We will discuss the issues we will address at the meeting in order to approach the season with understanding for both the regions and the athletes.
– Do you see the result of the unification of the men’s teams?
– The result can be assessed only by the results of the sports season, mainly by the main starts – this is the Spartakiad and the Russian Championship. We will evaluate the work of a coach or an athlete based on these competitions.
– How are the responsibilities distributed within the technical staff of the men’s team? What, for example, is Bashkirov doing?
– Sergey participates in the discussion of training plans. The number of athletes is quite large, so Sergey focuses more on the guys who trained with him. There is enough work: who is in the bend, who is on the track. Pay attention to each athlete at each section of the distance.
– How difficult is the off-season for you personally due to the fact that there were a lot of questions about athlete salaries?
– Working times. They pop up constantly, as long as you hold the position of RRF leader. These are work issues that we have to solve, so I didn’t even wonder if it was difficult or not.
Is everyone happy now?
Not everyone will be satisfied. There are always questions, but it is not always possible to fulfill all wishes. I think that by organizing the training process, our team has everything it needs. As for financial questions, they are no longer so today.
– What questions are athletes asking now? What are their concerns and interests?
– The athletes are interested in knowing if the bonuses will be kept this season. On this occasion, we prepare draft agreements with the athletes so that all mutual obligations are fulfilled. We expect that at the Commonwealth Cup and, most likely, at the All-Russian competitions, everything will be preserved. This can be done using the money we receive from deductions from bookmakers.
There were questions about equipment, size, functionality. Thanks to the athlete committee created, we discussed all these issues in detail. I think it’s an effective tool when athletes can talk to us directly. If necessary, we can invite third-party experts, such as our outfitter, to discuss.
“Perhaps Babikov, Loginov and Povarnitsyn will receive financial support from the CSP”
– Have you spoken to Dmitry Guberniev?
We didn’t seem to plan.
– He invited you to come to the studio when there were questions about salaries.
“I said my position, that is enough for me. I’m not going to discuss any of this publicly.
– Will you communicate with him during the season? Obviously, there are misunderstandings between you.
What misunderstandings? We do what we deem necessary, he tells the whole country what he deems necessary. I am not a supporter in the public domain of commenting on what he says. He has his job, we have ours. There are no resentments. For communication, we will see.
Do you have questions about ammunition? Is there enough for everyone?
– For this season, although expensive cartridges were purchased for the national team, they were purchased. But the question is very complicated, it is difficult to say how it will develop given the euro exchange rate. Our manufacturers unfortunately cannot cover our needs. Well, their cost is incredibly high.
– The other day, Victoria Slivko said that she did not receive equipment for the second season in a row. The SBR said the summer kit is not issued to those training alone.
– Yes. Under an agreement with our supplier, summer equipment is provided to the portion of athletes who are in centralized training. In winter, as a rule, those who played in the national team at international competitions received it. If Vika participates in the Russian national team at the Commonwealth Cup, she will be provided.
– A question about the calendar: has the end of the season in Kamchatka finally been approved?
– Not yet. We are considering Kamchatka and maybe Murmansk. We sent the terms of reference to Kamchatka, which should be at the sports facility. A more difficult question is the TV picture, as these are other expenses. “Match” has to go with a lot of gear to show the competition from there. We would like to organize competitions there, but, of course, we understand everything.
– Do you follow Loginov, Babikov and Povarnitsyn, who train alone?
We have their logistics plan. In addition, we turned to the CSP for possible help in financing the training process. Previously there was a conversation with Georgy Pavlovich (Bryusov). Perhaps the CSP will provide financial support for their individual training.
“We turned to the IBU to agree Uzbekistan’s participation in the Commonwealth Cup”
– Recently, Gazprom ceased to be a sponsor of the RRF. How critical is this for the federation?
– Any money is important for us: 100 rubles or 40 million. But we understand what caused this decision. The end of cooperation was not only with our federation, but also with the Russian Olympic Committee. Thank God Gazprom is not the only sponsor for us. We are working to find other partners in the coming season. We also continue cooperation with the company “PARI”. If you look at this year’s budget, Gazprom’s funds amounted to just over 10%. It is clear that we will have to review certain expenditure items.
Will there be any changes to our international suspension?
No, there is no change at the moment. We recently contacted the IBU: the Uzbek team expressed the wish to participate in the Summer Commonwealth Cup. We have written a request to the IBU, because if you plan to compete with athletes from three or more countries, you must obtain approval.
Has anyone else expressed a desire?
– Officially – no, but there is a conversation with China. We understand that there are very few biathletes in the Asian region. And those who are, participate in the international calendar. I know that the Mongolian team recently trained in Buryatia.
Speaking of the work of the federation, I would also like to point out that I am very satisfied with the creation of our youth project, which is receiving positive feedback. I believe the seed that was sown should continue to grow. We are developing the 2030 project, where many guys will form the base of the team in the 2030 Olympics. I’m not saying that we are not aiming for 2026. Of course, today’s team is a potential participant in the next Olympics, but the youth project aims to prepare athletes for the 2030 Games.
Every cloud has a silver lining: there is more time to pay attention to our regional federations. Recently I was in the Republic of Mari El. I went there for the first time. We agreed to allocate funds for the construction of two or three pneumatic firing ranges. There are many children involved, but there is no infrastructure.
The day before there was a call from the Ivanovo region, where they told me that 15,000 rubles were allocated there for biathlon next year. Naturally, I will go there to somehow change this situation. On the way to the Seminsky Pass, I stopped in Gorno-Altaisk, where the repair of the firing range is being completed. We need to do this so that we can officially hold a training. Most of the effort and time is spent developing our biathlon in the regions.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
