US team to boycott biathlon World Cup finals in Russia

Pyeongchang, South Korea (dpa) - The United States will not send its athletes to the biathlon World Cup finals next month at the Russian venue of Tyumen in protest of doping practices in the country.The US biathlon federation said in a statement Saturday at the Pyeongchang Olympics it was boycotting the March 22-25 event in protest of the decision by the ruling body IBU to hold the events there despite the doping saga.The statement called the IBU decision from earlier in the month "completely unacceptable" and added: "In support of clean sport and our own physical safety, we cannot in good conscience participate."Athletes from Canada, Sweden and the Czech Republic are reportedly also considering not competing in Tyumen, which was stripped of the 2021 world championships and the 2017 World Cup event over the affair."With Russia still being out of compliance with the WADA Code, with threats of physical harm to athletes who travel to Russia, with six athletes already sanctioned by IBU and the IOC from the 2014 Olympic season and another case awaiting a decision, holding the World Cup Final in Russia now sends an outrageous message of anti-doping indifference to the world," the statement said.Russians are competing as neutrals in South Korea and hope for reinstatement for Sunday‘s closing ceremony despite two athletes being caught doping.