A Belarusian refugee competes in the junior world championship. What led to this exception being made for her?

Despite the fact that the International Biathlon Union banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from all competitions under its auspices three years ago, 20-year-old Daria Dolidovich, representing the "Belarusian Refugee Team," is competing at the Junior World Championship.

https://champion.com.ua/ukr/biathlon/biloruska-dar-ya-dolidovich-vistupaye-na-yuniorskomu-chempionati-svitu-z-biatlonu-1028241/2025-03-03 09:38:29

Background

At the end of 2021, the Belarusian Ski Racing Federation suspended Daria from participating in competitions and training camps, and a month later, the athlete's FIS license was revoked, which is essential for competing in races organized by the International Ski Federation.

The sanctions from Belarus were reportedly due to her involvement in mass protests against state leader Alexander Lukashenko that took place in August 2020.

As a result, Daria was unable to participate in the Olympics in Beijing, so before the start of the 2022 Games, the athlete and her father-coach, renowned former skier Sergey Dolidovich, decided to leave the country due to "fear of further repression" from the local authorities.

Interestingly, Sergey Dolidovich is known for being the only skier in history to compete in seven Olympics (from Lillehammer 1994 to Pyeongchang 2018) and in 12 consecutive World Championships. In 2020, Dolidovich openly stated that he did not vote for Lukashenko in the presidential elections and participated in the protests.

Clearly, it was the civic stance of the father-coach that prompted the Belarusian authorities to "throw obstacles" in Daria's way, as well as that of Svitlana Andriuk – another athlete under Dolidovich's guidance.

How Daria Dolidovich Became a Biathlete

In early February 2022, Daria Dolidovich traveled to Poland, where she began training in biathlon, as she did not have to undergo quarantine in the new sport. The athlete trains in Poland under the guidance of the legendary Tomasz Sikora – a silver medalist in the 2006 Olympic mass start.

It seems that the IBU made an exception for Daria and allowed her to participate in races, as she became a victim of the Belarusian regime and left for Poland before the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine began.

Daria Dolidovich is the only representative of the "Belarus Refugee Team." In the finish protocol next to Daria's name is a white flag and the abbreviation BRT.

In the current season, Dolidovich has already participated in 11 races – 9 in the IBU Junior Cup and two more at the Youth World Championship. Daria's main achievements include two 32nd places.

"Champion" made an information request to the IBU regarding Daria Dolidovich's participation in competitions and is awaiting a response from the organization.