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Dr Tanja Haug joins BIU Board

Dr Tanja Haug, a sports law expert with more than 20 years’ experience, has been appointed to join the Biathlon Integrity Unit’s Board.

Dr Haug was recommended by the BIU’s independent Vetting Panel to the IBU Executive Board, which then appointed her as a new BIU Board Member.

Tanja Haug is a German lawyer with extensive experience in anti-doping, anti-corruption, disciplinary and governance matters. She serves as an independent expert for various national and international sport organisations and has significant expertise in relation to vetting, eligibility checks and investigations into wrongdoing in professional sport. Tanja Haug was a member of the IBU’s External Review Commission and holds a PhD in sports science.

As an arbitrator, Tanja Haug sits for the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal and the International Panel of Sport Resolutions, she is also a member the German Court of Sports Arbitration’s Appointment Committee.

Dr Haug was appointed after the position was advertised following the recent departure of one of the BIU Board’s Independent Members. The BIU Board comprises five members: three Independent Members and two Non-voting Members (Head of the BIU and member from the IBU Executive Board).

Louise Reilly, Chair of the BIU Board, said: “We are delighted that someone of Tanja’s calibre and experience is joining the BIU Board as an independent member and anticipate she will make a significant contribution towards achieving our mission to protect the integrity of Biathlon and ensure a clean and trusted sport.”

Dr Tanja Haug said: “I am very pleased and honoured to have been appointed as an independent member to such a high-profile and prestigious Board and look forward to contributing my wealth of experience to protect the integrity of the fantastic sport of biathlon.” 

About the BIU vetting process

The BIU’s vetting process involves careful screening of the past and present status of candidates, to ensure their character, personal and professional circumstances are in line with the IBU’s values.

The process is conducted by an independent body – the Vetting Panel – supported by the BIU.

This ensures that the outcomes of the process are impartial and fair.

The aim is to rule out any potential problems or conflicts of interest before a candidate is appointed.

You can find out more about the vetting process here.

 

Anti-Doping Education at Youth and Junior World Championships

BIU stages athlete education activities at Youth and Junior World Championships

The BIU staged educational activities at the 2023 Youth and Junior World Championships, which took place in Shchuchinsk, Kazakhstan on 4 to 10 March.

Katharina Gatterer, the BIU’s Safeguarding and Education Officer, led the activities on-site, in collaboration with QAZ NADO, the local National Anti-Doping Organisation.

Anti-doping seminar

An anti-doping seminar for youth athletes was held on 6 March. The seminar was mainly targeted at youth athletes that were competing at a major event for the first time. The session comprised an introduction to anti-doping, including a discussion about fairness and the need for rules in sport, along with an explanation of the doping control procedure, finishing with a Kahoot quiz.

The seminar was well-attended, attracting about 90 athletes from 18 nations.

For many of the athletes, this was their first introduction to the anti-doping process; only a few already had experience of the doping control procedure.

Outreach booth

The BIU ran an outreach booth in the competition venue, together with QAZ NADO on 5 to 7 March.

The booth offered athletes the chance to complete WADA’s anti-doping quiz, while information handouts on anti-doping were also distributed. Katharina and two members from QAZ NADo were on hand to answer questions from athletes and team members.Good attendances were also recorded at the outreach booth, with 126 athletes and coaches from 30 different nations.

A link to the WADA quiz (available in 47 languages) can be found here.

The BIU: it’s not just about testing

A podcast interview with Greg McKenna, Head of the Biathlon Integrity Unit

What is the BIU’s mandate? What is the relationship between the BIU and the International Biathlon Union? Is maintaining integrity in biathlon solely the job of the BIU? How can athletes and others in the biathlon community support the work of the BIU?

There’s a possible misconception that the BIU’s work is almost exclusively concerned with anti-doping testing. In this podcast interview, Greg McKenna, Head of the BIU, seeks to dispel that myth by answering the questions listed above.

The truth is that there’s much more to the BIU’s work than testing. As Greg explains, the BIU seeks to support the biathlon family in protecting the integrity of the sport – and, alongside that, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of participants.

In the interview, Greg also:

·         explains how the BIU handles sensitive information it receives from the biathlon community

·         describes the BIU’s confidential whistleblowing process

·         explains the important role that whistleblowers can play in safeguarding

·         and describes the increasing importance of investigations in discovering and prosecuting wrongdoing in biathlon.

Click here to listen to the interview.

 

Speaking of integrity

How should athletes and others in the biathlon family handle difficult interview questions on integrity topics?

Jon Tibbs, chairman of JTA, the international communications agency that helps its clients achieve their objectives in international sport, has many years of experience of advising organisations and individuals how to navigate difficult and sensitive interviews.

In this, the latest BIU podcast interview, Jon gives some general principles to bear in mind when facing potentially hostile questioning from the media, and recommends a ‘3×3 matrix’ to get your message across that looks like this:

Get your message accross

To find out more, listen to the podcast interview here.

BIU Outreach at the IBU World Cup in Antholz

The BIU held an outreach session at the IBU World Cup in Antholz-Anterselva on 20 January, 2023.

The aim of the Outreach was to interact with athletes and inform them about the day-to-day work of the BIU, including anti-doping, safeguarding, match-fixing, whistleblowing and investigations.

Katharina Gatterer, the BIU’s Safeguarding and Education Officer was on hand to answer the athletes’ and coaches’ questions.

Many athletes stopped by the Outreach stand, and signed a board with the message: ‘Remain true to yourself’.

The BIU aims to hold similar interactions with athletes in all biathlon competition series (Junior Cup, IBU Cup, World Cup and World Championships).

 

 

Biathlete Challenges BIUs Use of the CAS for First Instance Hearings

As part of a legal challenge to a sanction imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport Anti-Doping Tribunal (CAS ADD), a Russian biathlete has recently challenged to the validity of the CAS ADD at the Swiss Federal Supreme Court (SFT).  In an important decision for the Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU), the SFT has confirmed the validity of the CAS ADD as a first-instance disciplinary tribunal in delegation by sports federations, and the subsequent appeal to the CAS Appeals Division (CAS).

In 2019, the International Biathlon Union delegated its disciplinary authority to the CAS ADD for the latter to act as its Disciplinary Tribunal in replacement of its own Anti-Doping Hearing Panel. 

NOTE TO EDITORS

About the Biathlon Integrity Unit:

– The Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU) is an operationally independent Unit, which manages all doping and other integrity-related matters for the sport of Biathlon.

– The Unit’s remit includes anti-doping, the pursuit of individuals engaged in competition results manipulation, bribery, breaches of betting rules, and any other violation under the IBU Integrity Code.

– It is the BIU’s vision to ensure Biathlon is a fair, clean and trusted sport. The Unit will strive to earn the confidence, respect and support of both the Biathlon Family and wider sporting community.

 

Advertisement – Biathlon Integrity Unit Lawyer

An exciting opportunity to join the Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU) as the Unit Lawyer. The BIU is seeking applications for an enthusiastic Lawyer to come and join the join us here in Salzburg, Austria.

As part of its programme of governance and integrity reforms, the IBU established the operationally independent BIU in December 2019. The role of the BIU is to protect the integrity of biathlon. It does this through innovation, education, intelligence gathering, investigations and prosecuting rule violations and other breaches of integrity.

Biathlon Integrity Unit Lawyer job description, further information and details of how to apply can be found here: 

Any questions may be directed to the Head of the BIU, Greg McKenna (greg.mckenna@biathlonintegity.com).

 Deadline for applications: 17:00 CET on Friday 30 January 2023

Safeguarding education at Junior Cup and IBU Cup

The BIU held successful and well-attended educational sessions via Zoom during the Junior Cup in Obertilliach, Austria (14-17 December 2022) and the IBU Cup in Ridnaun, Italy (15-18 December 2022).

The sessions, comprising a webinar on Safeguarding, were attended by over 70 athletes from 15 different nations.

This was a new topic for athletes, so the sessions began with a short informational presentation, before the athletes broke out into small groups to discuss case studies.

Athletes were engaged and interested, and the presentation and case studies led to lively discussion afterwards with the whole group.

The aim of the sessions was to inform athletes about their right to practise their sport in a safe environment and their responsibility to speak up if they witness or experience something that doesn’t look right.

After the session, an athlete commented: “I believe that safeguarding is crucial in our sport, and it is really important for us to know what our rights and roles are. Keep biathlon fun and safe!”

The day after the sessions, Katharina Gatterer, BIU’s Safeguarding and Education Officer, and Nita Gjikolli, BIU’s Anti-Doping Coordinator, were available at an outreach booth for follow-up questions from athletes and staff members.

One of the BIU’s top priorities is to educate all athletes on Safeguarding issues, with the aim of keeping them safe from harassment and abuse.

 

In-Competition Testing

With the new biathlon season now under way, several athletes can expect to be subject to In-Competition testing for banned substances at each race.

Tests at World Cup, IBU Cup and Junior Cup events are carried out in conjunction with National Anti-Doping Agencies or other service providers, which act as sample-taking agencies at the events.

Certain substances are forbidden only In-Competition (the period beginning at 11.59pm on the day before a competition in which the athlete is scheduled to participate, and ending with the conclusion of the competition and the sample-taking process). Substances prohibited only In-Competition include, but are not limited to: stimulants; marijuana; narcotics; and glucocorticosteroids.

Athletes are advised to be aware of the washout times for these substances.

For more information on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Prohibited List, click here.

More information on doping substances and methods can be found here, and anti-doping rules and regulations are set out here.

Athletes that are selected for an In-Competition test after a race must remain visible to their chaperones at all times until they are tested. They are allowed to change, but not to take a shower or use the toilet. 

Athletes wanting to attend a flower/medal ceremony or press conference can, of course, do so, but must always be accompanied by their chaperones.

For more information on the doping test procedure, click here.

Out of competition testing

BIU steps up co-operation with NADOs ahead of new season as hundreds of Biathlon Integrity Certificates are issued

The Biathlon Integrity Unit has been implementing a comprehensive out-of-competition doping testing programme in the run-up to the 2022-23 season, with results that are in line with previous years.

During the period, the BIU’s already close co-operation with National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) has been enhanced, with the NADOs testing more athletes that are not part of the International Biathlon Union’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP) of athletes that are subject to out-of-competition testing.

This season, for the first time, all biathlon team staff members (including coaches, medical personnel and technicians) participating in any IBU event (Junior Cup, IBU Cup, World Cup) must hold a ‘Biathlon Integrity Certificate’ issued by the BIU, that includes information on doping testing.

So far, over 900 certificates have been issued ahead of the start of the new season, with more expected in the coming days.

A Biathlon Integrity Certificate can be obtained by completing a short online course, which can be found here.

The out-of-competition testing programme follows World Anti-Doping Agency rules and guidelines, testing athletes at home, at training sessions and at national competitions.

The basis for the programme is an in-depth risk assessment that was carried out during the 2020-21 season, resulting in the establishment of the IBU’s RTP.

The aim is to ensure a level playing field for all athletes competing at national and international level.

Greg McKenna, Head of the BIU, said: “Each year, with the help of the Biathlon Family, we are strengthening our anti-doping programme. Our Out-of-Competition testing now has greater focus and will not only detect prohibited substances, but also provides the BIU with valuable intelligence. As always, it is important that, should anyone have any concerns about wrongdoing, they come forward and report it in confidence to the BIU.”

The new biathlon season begins with the first BMW IBU World Cup event of the season in Kontiolahti, Finland on 29 November to 4 December, 2022.

Note to Editors

The Biathlon Integrity Unit is an operationally independent and specialised unit of the International Biathlon Union. It was established in 2019 in order to ensure all of biathlon’s stakeholders can have confidence that ethical issues in the sport will be addressed independently and expertly.

 

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