Anders Besseberg Head of the International Biathlon Union Date of Birth: 25.02.1946 Country: Norway

1. Anders Besseberg Biography
2. Biathlon Career
3. Involvement in Biathlon Administration
4. IBU Presidency and Controversy

Anders Besseberg Biography

Anders Besseberg, the former President of the International Biathlon Union (IBU), was born on February 25, 1946, in Norway. He graduated from the Norwegian Institute of Sports in Oslo, Norway.

Biathlon Career

During the years 1970 to 1974, Besseberg was an active biathlete. He competed at the national level and became the Norwegian champion in the relay event. However, he did not achieve much success at the international level. Alongside his sporting career, he also worked as a teacher at a sports university from 1970 to 1975 and coached the British cross-country skiing and biathlon team from 1970 to 1976.

Involvement in Biathlon Administration

From 1976 to 1980, Besseberg was part of the coaching staff for the Norwegian biathlon team. He then joined the technical committee of the International Union of Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon (UIPMB) from 1980 to 1988. In 1988, he became the vice president of the organization, and in 1992, he succeeded Russian Igor Novikov as the President. Besseberg initiated discussions about the role of biathlon in the UIPMB system and led the initiative group for the creation of the IBU.

IBU Presidency and Controversy

From 1993 to 2018, Besseberg served as the President of the IBU. However, in April 2018, the Austrian police launched an investigation into corruption cases within the IBU and possible violations of anti-doping rules from 2012 to 2017. The organization's headquarters were searched, and Besseberg, along with the Secretary-General Nicole Resch, were questioned as suspects in the investigation. They were accused of covering up abnormal doping test results for Russian athletes since 2011, violating antitrust laws in the distribution of broadcasting rights, and accepting bribes from members of the IBU Congress to select Tyumen as the host city for the 2021 World Championships.

According to the Norwegian newspaper "VG," the IBU concealed 65 cases of banned substances detected in samples from Russian athletes since 2011. This information was obtained from three sources: the database of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) with samples collected from 2011 to 2015, anonymous informants, and the testimony of Grigory Rodchenkov.

On April 12, 2018, Anders Besseberg temporarily stepped down from his position during the doping investigation. On September 7, 2018, at the 13th IBU Congress in Porec, Olle Dahlin was elected as the new President of the organization. The investigation against Besseberg continued. In January 2021, the independent IBU Investigative Commission released a report stating that based on the evidence, Besseberg had consistently promoted and defended Russian interests in almost all his actions. This primarily concerned doping, where Besseberg and the IBU Secretary-General N. Resch indulged in efforts to conceal the state-sponsored doping system in Russia, thus enabling further violations. The commission also found that Besseberg received numerous gifts from Russia as a token of appreciation, including free hunting trips and prostitutes.