The Biathlon Federation of Ukraine called on the fans to refrain from insulting the athletes.
“We have all been living in a war for a year now. And, of course, this is reflected in the emotional state of everyone. Both fans and athletes. Each of us has his own struggle, and for each it is important. Our stability and prosperity also depends on everyone.
We respect all fans and journalists, but we also ask that our biathletes be treated with respect. We, as the Ukrainian Biathlon Federation, are ready for your criticism and emotional reactions. We are ready to openly discuss with you about performances and results in international arenas or the future of our biathlon. For our part, we also work with our athletes on a professional approach to work outside of competitions and training.
But we urge everyone to refrain from insults and hate towards our athletes. Your desire to see biathletes on podiums is understandable and it is common to the entire biathlon family. However, your too emotional statements will not do any good. And personal insults and accusations will only hurt.
Everyone can make a mistake. Everyone can succumb to emotions, express themselves sharply. Everyone has ups and downs. The emotional state of an athlete is just as important as the physical state. So let’s take care of each other for the sake of common achievements. And let’s remember that we are all one big biathlon family.
Our biathletes raise the flag of the country of Ukraine, in which we all live, for which we all support and are waiting for the Victory, ”the FBU said in a statement.
