Former Russian biathlete Daria Virolainen is not a traitor, she went to find her husband, an ethnic Finn, and in the Finnish national team she will be able to extend her sports career, double Olympic champion Dmitry Vasilyev told .
On Friday, it became known that the International Biathlon Union (IBU) had authorized Virolainen to represent Finland in international competitions for the 2023/24 season. This summer, the 34-year-old athlete held a training camp in Altai at his own expense and trained under coach Leonid Myakishev.
– The athlete takes advantage of every opportunity to perform. It was already difficult for Virolainen to qualify for the Russian national team, but now the opportunity to play for another country has arisen, which is great. Moreover, her husband is an ethnic Finn. I see no contradiction. There is no reason to consider her a traitor. She went to look for her husband, an ethnic Finn, everything makes sense.
Moreover, she could hardly play for the Russian national team, we have strong competition. And in Finland, she will extend her sporting career, she did the right thing, congratulations. In the Finland women’s national team, the competition is much lower than ours, Vasilyev told .
Last season, Virolainen competed twice in Finland, where she has lived for six years.
Virolainen is the eldest daughter of three-time Olympic champion Anfisa Reztsova. The biathlete is 34 years old, she is the European champion in the single mixed relay, she twice stood on the podium of the World Cup. The athlete received Finnish citizenship in 2021 and last participated in international biathlon competitions in 2017-2018.
Source : MatchTV
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