Belarusian Darya Dalidovich to Compete in Biathlon World Cup as a Refugee for the First Time in History
The sprint will take place today in Oberhof, Germany,
Darya Dalidovich, social media photo
Darya Dalidovich will become the first biathlete in history to compete in international competitions as part of the Biathlon Refugee Team (BRT).
21-year-old Darya will take part in the Biathlon World Cup stage held in Oberhof.
The sprint will take place today and will start at 17:15 Minsk time. Darya will start 91st.
Darya is the daughter of Siarhei Dalidovich, who participated in seven Olympics as part of the Belarusian cross-country ski team. Four years ago, this athlete supported the protests, spoke out for fair elections, and in 2022, together with his daughter, emigrated to Poland.
Previously, the girl competed in the Junior Biathlon World Cup without a flag, with the designation Belarus Refugee Team.
Two years ago, Siarhei said about his daughter: "Justyna Kowalczyk, a famous Polish cross-country skier, Olympic champion, whom I had known for over ten years, contacted us. She now works as the sports director of the Polish Biathlon Federation. Justyna read articles about us in the Polish media and got in touch. It's not that we were accepted for free; rather, they helped with housing, paperwork, and school placement. For now, Darya is training, and in the future, I think she will compete for Poland. A fabricated disqualification, like in Belarusian skiing, is unlikely here."
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine using Belarusian territory, Belarusian and Russian athletes have been suspended from international competitions and do not participate in World Cup stages, World Championships, or Olympics, instead participating in the Russian Cup.
Now reading
Vladislav Baumgertner, former CEO of Uralkali, has disappeared in Cyprus. He was detained in a scandalous case in Minsk when he flew to Myasnikovich 44
Comments