IBU Seeks Feedback on New Constitution

(ATR) The International Biathlon Union (IBU) executive board completes the first draft of the new IBU constitution.

The highlight of the document is the proposal to create an independent Biathlon Integrity Unit (BIU), which will centrally manage all integrity-related matters concerning biathlon.

The federation’s offices were raided in February 2018 in a probe by Austrian police into claims of corruption and doping fraud linked to cases involving Russian athletes. The former IBU president Anders Besseberg and secretary general Nicole Resch left their federation posts amid the investigation, though both deny wrongdoing.

Olle Dahlin was elected President at the annual IBU Congress last September to replace Besseberg. The Swede ran on a platform of implementing concrete reforms "that will improve good governance and transparency".

The new constitution, which also includes what the IBU calls a "first-of-its-kind" strategic plan, now goes to the 55 full and two provisional national federations for their feedback.

As the IBU’s independent External Review Commission (ERC) chairperson, leading English lawyer Jonathan Taylor has led the effort to reform the IBU Constitution.

"The IBU’s draft Constitution reflects best international practice and puts in place a strong structure to protect the integrity of the sport," Taylor said in a statement.

"The establishment of a Biathlon Integrity Unit implementing a state-of-the-art Integrity Code guarantees that all integrity-related matters concerning biathlon, including anti-doping as well as ethical breaches, are dealt with by a specialist body that is independent of the Executive Board and the IBU staff."

The reforms are expected to be voted on at the federation’s Extraordinary Congress in October. A full-time secretary general to replace Resch could also be named at that time.

In mid-April the IBU advertised for a new secretary general and head of finance and administration, in response to the abrupt resignation of interim secretary general Martin Kuchenmeister and three other staff members in February.

Alf Koksvik, former secretary general of the Norwegian Biathlon Federation, took over for Kuchenmeister on an interim basis on March 1.

Written by Gerard Farek

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