As is well known, the two-time Olympic relay champion Dmitry Vasilyev is not on good terms with the Norwegian biathlon stars around Johannes Thingnes Bø. In the eyes of the Russian, the Scandinavians are one thing above all: scammers. The former professional confirmed this point of view once again.
Because many athletes from the Norwegian winter sports teams have been able to take asthma medication that has a positive effect on endurance performance for many years thanks to an exemption, ex-biathlete Dmitry Vasilyev has always described the Scandinavians as dopers. The fact that the intake of the drug salbutamol is permitted by WADA up to a level of 1,600 micrograms per day does not interest the Russians.
In an interview with “Match TV”, the two-time biathlon Olympic champion has now renewed his allegations. When asked if the Norwegians had ever threatened him with legal consequences for his doping allegations, Vasilyev said: “Never. But I’m looking forward to it. I really want them to sue me. I’ve always said that the [Norweger]who win medals are legalized dopers.”
He says “nothing wrong,” added the Russian: “They have the very fictitious excuse that they are very ill. And yet they win almost all competitions. At the same time, they take illegal drugs in a legal way. That’s why I call them that. I remember that I said that live on TV at the World Cup in Antholz 2020. But for some reason I didn’t even get a call afterwards.”
Norwegian biathlon stars ‘have no arguments’
It is obvious to Vasilyev why the Norwegians have not yet officially complained about the allegations: “Because they have no arguments. I’m telling the truth. I’m not attacking anyone, I’m just explaining what’s really happening here.”
There has been no official reaction from the Norwegian camp to the former biathlete’s statements, neither now nor in the past. At the same time, Vasilyev has regularly wedged against the Scandinavians for many years. It was not until March of this year that he declared that Johannes Thingnes Bø’s numerous victories were worth nothing because he owed them to taking illegal drugs.