During the war, conditions for the development of biathlon became worse
Ukrainian biathlete Elena Bilosyuk (before marriage – Pidhrushnaya) spoke about the situation with training arenas in Ukraine and the difficulties that athletes face during preparation.
“We have spent very little time in Ukraine before. Because not a single stadium in our country met international standards. Therefore, mainly during the training period I had to be abroad.”
“During the large-scale invasion, several of our arenas were bombed by the enemy. There are also regions (Kharkiv region, Sumy region) where shooting for biathletes is life-threatening. The coaches from there said, because in this case he will fly back.”
“That is, during the war, the conditions for the development of biathlon became worse. Currently, there are only a few active bases left. One of them is the Western Rehabilitation Center in Syanki (Yavoriv, Lviv region). There, the year before last, they made a cool roller ski track. There is also a shooting range in Syanki that meets our standards. You can have good training camps there.”
“In Bukovel, the shooting range is ready, but the track is still under construction. All-Ukrainian competitions are held there in winter.”
“There is also a base in Tisovets (Lviv region). But the asphalt on it is in poor condition. Although there are decent living and food conditions, and the opportunity to run cross-country. However, for professional athletes in Tisovets there are not the right conditions to reach a high level. Because accelerating on asphalt with holes is, at a minimum, dangerous. You might just get hurt.”
The 2024/25 Biathlon World Cup starts on November 30, 2024 in the Finnish city of Kontiolahti. The elite season will end on March 23, 2025 in Holmenkollen, Norway.
At the end of the 2023/24 season, the Ukrainian women’s team moved up one place and took ninth place in the Nations Cup. The blue-and-yellows will be able to field five athletes, just like last season.
But the Ukrainian men’s team took 11th place in the Nations Cup last season and lost one quota for the World Cup. In the 2024/25 season, the blue-yellows will be able to field a maximum of four athletes.
Source: Sportarena
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