St. Petersburg, April 8, Sergey Yaremenko. Four-time Olympic champion in Biathlon Alexander Tikhonov sharply criticized the President of the Finnish Ski Association Markka Haapasalmi, who opposed the election of the head of the Russian Ski Racing Federation (FLGR) Elena Vyalbe to the board of the International Ski Federation (FIS). Earlier it was reported that the head of the FLGR Vyalbe would be re-elected to the FIS board. Vyalbe is a three-time Olympic champion and a 14-time world champion in cross-country skiing. She has been heading the FLGR since 2010. «All Finns put together are not worth Elena Vyalbe alone. She must be elected to the FIS Council. Was Haapasalmi a world champion? When she arrives, he must take off her coat, and when Elena Valeryevna leaves, he must serve. He is not capable of more. It’s a shame to call him a man,» Tikhonov said. Against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine, FIS first deprived Russia of the right to host the World Cup Final in Tyumen, and then decided not to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in competitions under the auspices of the organization until the end of the 2021/22 season. This decision was made in accordance with the recommendation of the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
