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≡ INTEL REPORT ≡
The long drama within the sport over misdeeds by the former 26-year head of the International Biathlon Union appears to be over, as the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed a lifetime ban on Norwegian Anders Besseberg, now 79, for misdeeds late in his tenure. According to the Biathlon Integrity Unit:
“The ruling establishes that Mr Besseberg engaged in prolonged unethical conduct, including the receipt of inappropriate gifts and benefits, and the failure to prevent or challenge unethical practices. The CAS Panel found that:
● “The IBU’s Integrity Code and disciplinary rules remained applicable to Mr Besseberg post-tenure, given his role as an organ of the IBU, thus allowing for the imposition of sanctions even after he left office.
● “The charges concerning watches, hunting trips, and the provision of prostitution services were substantiated and constituted integrity breaches. The Panel confirmed that Mr Besseberg had accepted valuable watches and hunting trips, while the determining factor in the prostitution-related breaches was the direct link between Mr Besseberg’s use of these services with his official duties as IBU President.
● “Mr Besseberg failed in his duty to intervene in unethical conduct, further breaching the integrity standards of the IBU.
“Considering the seriousness of the violations and the lack of remorse shown by Mr Besseberg, the CAS Panel imposed a lifetime ban from all official biathlon roles.
“The CAS ruling also highlights concerns over the fact that such unethical behaviour was allowed to persist for an extended period without intervention.”
This was a complete fall from grace for Besseberg, who was elected as the first IBU President when the sport separated from the combined federation with modern pentathlon in 1992. He was re-elected again and again, including in 2014.
He resigned in April 2018 when charges of corruption surfaced – protecting Russia from doping cases – and eventually went to trial in Norway in January 2024. He was convicted, sentenced to three years and one month in prison and was required to return NOK 1.41 million in property (about $133,757 U.S.). He has appealed and will have his case heard later this year.
On the IBU side, the case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport was over his lifetime ban from the sport’s governing bodies at all levels, national and international. While the case has not been published as yet, it is possible for Besseberg to appeal the decision to the Swiss Federal Tribunal if desired.
One of the outcomes of the Besseberg mess was the formation of an independent team – the Biathlon Integrity Unit – in 2019 to monitor the sport for issues of doping, competition manipulation, harassment and abuse and other matters.
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