"The IBU’s recent decision to move forward with the World Cup Final in Tyumen, Russia is completely unacceptable. In support of clean sport and our own physical safety, we cannot in good conscience participate," said the authority as quoted by USA Today.
The statement was reportedly sent by Association's president Max Cobb. It said Russians had been found in breach of the anti-doping code and needed to show "a meaningful commitment to rectifying the doping culture" before hosting sports events.
International Olympic Committee’s spokesman Mark Adams said commented on the situation saying that the US Biathlon Association’s decision to skip the World Cup final in Russia was unfortunate and would not achieve much.
"Boycotts in general achieve very little, and we’ve seen that in the history of the Games… It’s unfortunate that boycotts happen," Adams told reporters at a briefing in Pyeongchang.
He said IOC President Thomas Bach was once a "victim of a boycott" and could not defend his title in Moscow in 1980.
The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) investigation into the alleged doping by Russian athletes was triggered by the two-part report of McLaren, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) investigative team. Only 169 Russian athletes were invited to compete in 2018 Winter Olympic games with CAS dismissing appeals filed by dozens of Russian athletes who were not invited to the games.
Back in 2016 the US Justice Department reportedly has launched investigation into allegations of Russia’s use of doping, along with WADA's decision to probe those allegations.
