– I think it’s disgusting. But at the same time, I have not said anything to Anders Besseberg that I am afraid of, says Ole Einar Bjørndalen to news about a telephone conversation he had with Besseberg on 18 December 2017 being played in court on Tuesday. When Bjørndalen called Besseberg, there was increasing pressure among the athletes regarding the upcoming World Cup race in Tyumen that winter. There was concern among the athletes that those races would actually take place in Russia. The extensive doping cheat during the Sochi Olympics had then been uncovered, but the Russian city would still be allowed to host the World Cup final in 2018. This topic was highlighted in court on Tuesday, among other things, through several intercepted telephone conversations. In the trial, Besseberg is accused of gross corruption. He pleads not guilty after the indictment. The Tjumen case also concerned Bjørndalen, who called president Anders Besseberg of the International Biathlon Union (IBU). It was one such conversation – which was intercepted – that was played in court on Tuesday. – You, I wonder about a couple of things when it comes to Russia and the doping stuff, Bjørdalen began about Russia in the telephone conversation with Besseberg. – The question is why the IBU does not react to what they have done now. They probably don’t have an anti-doping system that works. Do they have it now?, asked Bjørndalen. Besseberg pointed out, among other things, that the anti-doping system in Russia had worked in such a way that athletes were tested by Britons. Besseberg pointed out that the consequences for Russia in practice were that they could not apply for the Olympics, when they did not have an anti-doping agency that was approved based on the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency. – They are allowed to apply for the WC with us. There is nothing in the way of awarding, even now, the World Cup there, said Besseberg, who pointed out that some understood this and others would not understand this. – In that sense, it is a bit complicated, he said in the conversation. TOGETHER IN HOLMENKOLLEN: IBU president Anders Besseberg and Ole Einar Bjørndalen in Norway’s national facility in 2001. Photo: Knut Fjeldstad / NTB On Tuesday, Bjørndalen points out that his call was made because of concerns from the athletes. It was Bjørndalen’s responsibility to answer the phone as runner’s representative. He believes Besseberg took him seriously when he called and that the biathlete president never refused to answer the phone. – Every time I called Anders, he mostly answered the phone. After all, he always answered for his view of the matter. He answered what he thought was correct. I was a runner’s representative for about 20 years, so I did this because I was one and sat on the runner’s committee, says Bjørndalen. Mikkel Toft Gimse, Besseberg’s defender, points out that Bjørndalen had a clear role in the conversation. – He interpreted the athletes’ points of view. And then had a number of questions about events in Tjumen and handling after the McLaren report, says Gimse to news. – From your point of view, how did Besseberg handle the Tyumen issues? – Today he was aware that there was a lot of uncertainty about how to handle it. In our view, he handled it in an orderly and proper way, says Gimse to news. Got Tyumen answer The background to the conversation actually had its origin in the extensive doping cheat during the Sochi Olympics in 2014. It was uncovered through the McLaren report. The year before the conversation with Bjørndalen, there had been strong reactions to Tyumen being awarded the WC at the IBU congress in autumn 2016. Besseberg had pointed out earlier in the day that there were 3-4 nations in particular that were active when it came to this Russia issue and were particularly dissatisfied with events in Russia. Among other things, Norway sent a letter before Christmas 2016 in which they threatened to boycott competitions in Russia. Court signing of Besseberg and his defenders in court. Besseberg does not want to be photographed in court. Photo: Ane Hem / NTB But Besseberg said in court that it was not his style to succumb to pressure when it came to threats. However, in the winter of 2017, Tyumen was stripped of the world championship, which they had been awarded a few months earlier. But now Tjumen was to host the World Cup final in 2018. Bjørndalen was on the runner’s committee and continued to ask questions to Besseberg in the conversation from December 2017, a few months before the race in Tjumen.. – I have the list in front of me of the runners who have donated urine for it Russian doping laboratory. And the Oswald Commission says it is proof that they had to know that they were on a doping program during Sochi, Bjørndalen points out in the telephone conversation. – It is correct that the Oswald Commission says what Ole Einar says, Besseberg replies. – You can hardly judge until you have the evidence on the table Ole Einar. But there are plenty of strong indications that something has happened, he continues. However, Bjørndalen pointed out that the star cyclist Lance Armstrong was also not convicted of any positive doping tests in the conversation, when he was stripped of seven Tour de France victories. He then asked what was going to happen with the World Cup final in Tyumen the coming winter. – But like that for you, the thing with Tyumen. Is that how it should go? – As of today, it works, Besseberg answers, among other things. He later pointed out in court that he talked a lot with Bjørndalen. MANY CONVERSATIONS: Ole Einar Bjørndalen is congratulated by Besseberg after winning the WC gold in the relay in South Korean Pyeongchang in 2009. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB Bjørndalen also confirms this to news. – There are many times! After more than 20 years as a runner’s representative, that will be it. It was everything from events to piste preparation to talks in the environment, says Bjørndalen and continues: – That is what has been so brilliant about biathlon. It has been such a short distance from us runners and coaches to the board and president. When there have been questions from runners and coaches, I have contacted him. Pointed to unclear rules Both the awarding of the World Cup to Tyumen in autumn 2016, and why the World Cup final in Tyumen in 2018 was not deprived of Russia were topics in court on Tuesday. Prosecutor Marianne Djupesland says that the possibility of influence is an element the court must consider, linked to the corruption provision – There have been conversations that we believe can illuminate the extent to which Besseberg had influence over important decisions, such as the allocation of events in Tyumen, says Djupesland. Prosecutor Marianne Djupesland in Økocrim in Buskerud District Court. Photo: NTB Besseberg himself pointed out that there were unclear rules on how to handle events in Russia from the highest levels in sport, that is from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). In court, it was also determined that Besseberg’s double vote led to the IBU not depriving Russia of the World Cup final in 2018. The races were held in March 2018. Besseberg was asked by the prosecutor why he was so stubborn on the Russia issue. – It was our regulations that ensured that. It was not designed for this, says Besseberg. – With what we know here as we sit today, I understand your argumentation very well. I certainly believe that Congress would have made a completely different choice, Besseberg told the prosecutor. More conversations Several intercepted conversations were presented in court on Tuesday. Among other things, it concerned a telephone conversation in which Nicole Resch, Besseberg’s general secretary, was very concerned about Besseberg’s attitude towards Russia. It showed an intercepted conversation from 8 December 2017. There Resch talked about how pro-Russian Besseberg had become another sports stop. The topic this time was the athletes’ wish to have the World Cup moved from Tyumen. – We have heard what Nicole says about you as crazy pro-Russian, said prosecutor Marianne Djupesland about the telephone conversation Resch had with Heike Grosswang, secretary general of the International Bobsleigh and Luge Federation. Anders Besseberg together with general secretary Nicole Resch (th) and the director of the Russian Biathlon Union Sergej Kushchenko in 2011. Photo: NordicFocus She quoted the following from what Resch said in the conversation, which was intercepted by the police: “So crazy pro-Russia that I’m a little scared now. He no longer communicates neutrally at all, but always immediately, immediately pro-Russia”. She also pointed out the athletes’ skepticism about the World Cup final in Tyumen and the question of whether they would participate. – Do you want to comment on anything she says? – I obviously register what she says, but I am far from agreeing. And she talks about the fact that no nations will participate, only Russia, says Besseberg, who pointed out that this was not correct. He believed that the strong opposition to events in Russia revolved around some nations.
ttn-69
– It concerns Russia and the doping stuff – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
