SOCHI, Aug 25, Alexander Govorov. Russian biathlon team coach Artem Istomin announced that he would definitely follow the World Cup even taking into account the absence of Russian athletes there. Earlier, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes from competitions under its auspices and suspended the membership of the RBU and BSE against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine. These decisions were made in accordance with the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). «I will definitely follow the World Cup, even without the Russian team, to watch for new trends and changes. We will analyze all this, how our rivals perform there. Sooner or later we we will return there. We will need to be ready for competition. We have every chance for this. All groups communicate with each other, share their experience. Everyone understands that we have one goal. I think that we will survive one or two seasons without the World Cup We are preparing for the main goal — the 2026 Olympics,» Istomin said. The 25th Winter Olympic Games 2026 will be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy. Read the full interview with Artem Istomin at rsport.ria.ru.
