Biathlon coach Bricis submits resignation after conflict with Rastorgujevs

RIGA - The coach of the Latvian biathlon team Ilmars Bricis has submitted his resignation after a recent conflict with Latvian biathlete Andrejs Rastorgujevs, the Latvijas Avize newspaper reports.

The Latvian Olympic Committee (LOC) confirmed that the LOC had received an application from Bricis requesting the termination of his employment. He will not be with the team of two of his athletes at the World Youth and Junior Championships in Sweden at the moment, with two other coaches taking over the coaching process.

The LOC also said that the Latvian Biathlon Federation (LBF) confirmed that biathlete Baiba Bendika will continue to compete in the remaining World Cup competitions of the season, but Rastorgujevs' health, further plans for the season and solutions to the conflict will be discussed at the LBF Board meeting on February 27, to which Rastorgujevs has also been invited.

As reported, Bricis assaulted and beat up Latvia's top biathlete Andrejs Rastorgujevs during the world championship in Switzerland last week, Rastorgujevs claimed in an interview with Latvian Television on Monday.

On Monday afternoon, Bricis confirmed to LETA that the incident took place, while Kaspars Saknins, president of the Latvian Biathlon Federation (LBF), said that the federation would not give any comments until the circumstances of the incident are clarified.

The LBF Board has asked Rastorgujevs and Bricis to explain in writing the nature and causes of the incident.

According to Rastorgujevs, the coach attacked him last Thursday after the mixed relay race in which Rastorgujevs did not take part.

"After the mixed relay race, there was one major incident that jeopardized participation in the men's relay and the mass start. The incident involved the coach, the fact that he hit me. I think he broke my finger. He punched my nose. I think the shoulder is rather badly injured as well. I will go to the hospital and see what's happening to my body," Rastorgujevs told Latvian Television.

Rastorgujevs reportedly entered Bricis' room to discuss an event that happened last year. "He pushed me out of the room and started raising his hands. He attacked me. Two people from the team came to separate us. The doctor, Aldis Cirulis, tried to save the situation, put a bandage on my arm and tried to bandage my shoulder. Basically, I was thrown out of the game," Rastorgujevs said, recounting the incident.

"I had said previously that my racing skis disappeared last year. I told it also to the service staff and the secretary general of the biathlon federation. Bricis came and said that he did not take anything. I had one witness who had seen and heard. I told him - either give me my skis back or I will complain to the authorities," Rastorgujevs said.

As Bricis told later told LETA, he only learned about Rastorgujevs' allegations through the media.

Bricis said that Rastorgujevs last year "confronted the whole service staff", claiming that somebody had stolen his skis. This information did not reach the coach, Bricis said. He contends that Rastorgujevs lied.

Bricis said he told Rastorgujevs that he would not speak to him until he apologizes to the service staff. "He later came to my room, and I told him, until you apologize to the service staff, we have nothing to talk about. He then said that it was me, not the service staff, who stole the skis," said Bricis.

"How could I react? Of course, I was infuriated, I do not remember the exact words that I said. [I said] that for such an insult he can get smacked. He just laughed and said that I am just a talker, not doer. He was already completely mad... I had to get him out of the room somehow because I was alone there with Emils [Brice's one and a half year old son]," Bricis said.

The biathlete assumes that his shoulder might be seriously injured and will require surgery, which means that the racing season is over for him.

Rastorgujevs also said that he will not be with the national team if Bricis stays in it.

At the world championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, Rastorgujevs achieved the best result in the 20 km individual race in which he placed 16th.

Rastorgujevs won the silver medal in the 15-kilometer mass start in last year's world championship in Nove Mesto, Czechia, achieving the biggest success in Latvian biathlon history, and came fourth in the 20 km individual race.