NOC: Belarusian biathlon team is a force to reckon with internationally

Belarusian biathlon team is a force to reckon with internationally, Belarus’ NOC President Viktor Lukashenko said at a meeting with the national biathlon team on 14 May.

He thanked the athletes for the victories and high results last season and congratulated the athletes and coaching staff on the start of the new Olympic season noting that the team will be up for the Olympic challenge in February 2022. “I hope that rehabilitation from last long and intense season has been productive. You have rested, gained strength and are ready to get back to work. The first training camp in Raubichi will mark the starting point of the upcoming season," Viktor Lukashenko said.

"I think that Belarusian biathletes has proved last season why biathlon is rightfully one of the leading sports in the country, and why our athletes are a force to reckon with internationally," the NOC president said.

A lot has been done to develop this sport in recent years, and the federation is optimistic about the future, said Valery Vakulchik, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Belarusian Biathlon Federation. "I would like to note that our national team is young. A new generation of biathletes is growing up. This shows that we have good expertise and traditions in our country. It is important that every athlete of this team can win a medal," Valery Vakulchik said.

In the 2020/2021 season, the Belarusian biathletes won nine medals at the IBU World Cups and Biathlon World Championships.

Dzinara Alimbekava, the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic champion, clinched gold in the sprint at the BMW IBU World Cup in Hochfilzen, won the Crystal Globe in the under-25 athletes' category and placed seventh overall in the World Cup standings.

The athlete credited her good results last season to the quality pre-season training. “Specialists who worked with the team helped me a lot. My motivation to show my best was one of the key factors. Moreover, my shooting performance was stable; I felt more confident with each race, and everything turned out well. At the end of the season I wanted to continue racing. Vacation is the most difficult period for me. The most important thing for me is to keep shape,” said Dzinara Alimbekava.

The PyeongChang Olympic champion presented the NOC president with a bib (badge number) with the team’s autographs.

Dzinara Alimbekava, one of the leaders of the women's team, noted that in the upcoming season athletes will need “to do something special to stay on top”.

Hanna Sola, who finished third in the sprint at the 2021 Biathlon World Championships in Pokljuka, Slovenia, made significant progress last season as well.

Hanna Sola thanked the coaching team for their efforts during the past season. “We trained hard. I understand that we will have to work even harder during the Olympic season. We realize that it will be very challenging but we are ready for it,” she noted.

The coaches of the national team are also optimistic about the future. “Working with the women’s team was a new experience for me. Most importantly, we continued the string of victories of Belarusian biathletes,” Oleg Ryzhenkov noted.

“When I came to Raubichi for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised with the sports infrastructure. I got acquainted with the Belarusian team, carried out analyses and testing and saw that they have great potential,” coach of the women’s team Reinhard Goesweiner said.

Over a cup of tea with cake, Belarusian biathletes spoke about their hobbies, asked the NOC president about his favorite sports, and promised to score more victories at international competitions.

The national biathlon team has already started preparing for the new season and the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing at the Raubichi Winter Olympic Sport Center.