Justina Kowalczyk Tekele replied: – Sad and disgusting

Justina Kowalczyk Tekele replied: – Sad and disgusting

On Friday, Dagbladet wrote that Justyna Kowalczyk-Tekieli – as she is now called – quit the job As sports director of the Polish Biathlon Federation.

The Polish cross-country legend – like three other leaders in the Polish biathlon union – quit with immediate effect.

Now she reveals the reason and the details behind the collective dramatic separation.

He is in an interview with a Polish newspaper onet That Marit Björgen’s main competition and longtime enemy sprinter portrayed the struggle behind the revolutionary change in Polish biathlon, with Kowalczyk-Tekeele as sporting director since March of last year.

– This is distasteful and sad, says the 39-year-old and explains why she has reacted so badly.

They wanted to take care of the refugee: Justina Kowalczyk, here with Marit Björgen and Therese Juhaug, tried to take care of 17-year-old Daria Dolidovets from Belarus. Associated Press / Giovanni Oletta
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brutal message

The feuds are said to have started last winter when cross-country skiing talent Daria Dolidovich (17) fled Belarus, and her distinguished father Sergei Dolidovich and the rest of the family fled their home country out of fear of the authorities as a result. The political position of the family.

More precisely, the Dolidovich family claimed that President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko rigged the elections when he was re-elected in 2020.

Darga was denied the right to participate in competitions. “I don’t see the possibility of her continuing her career in Belarus,” her father, Sergei Dolidovich, told the news agency Reutersbefore the family fled to Poland in February.

In Poland, the family was brought into the warmth of Justyna Kowalczyk-Tekieli, who encouraged cross-country talent to try biathlon and invited the 17-year-old Daria Dolidovich Training with the Polish junior biathlon team.

Darga made quick strides, despite a difficult starting point, as she had to pack up and leave all her friends in a few days. Then she came here without knowing a word of Polish. I saw Daria in training and she really has a lot of potential. After a few weeks of shooting practice, she finished third in the sprint race at the Polish Youth Championship. She has shown her great potential, says Kowalczyk Tekele, who in 2020 married climber Casper Tekele.

Desperation: Justyna Kowalczyk, here with Marit Bjørgen, during the World Figure Skating Championships in Oslo in 2011. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB

Desperation: Justyna Kowalczyk, here with Marit Bjørgen, during the World Figure Skating Championships in Oslo in 2011. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB
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– I am very upset

The Polish cross-country legend – who has a total of 50 individual World Cup victories, four combined overall Cup and Tour de Ski victories combined, as well as four Olympic and World Cup golds – says she was positive about Daria Dolidowicz on the team, because the girl Small is ready to apply for Polish citizenship in the long term.

– Before the elections, Sergei Dolidovich – who was the sports director – and Zbigniew Waskevich – who was head of biathlon at that time – asked me about the possibility of training with us. Coach Lucas Slonina also asked about it. They were all positive. None of them changed their minds. I know it, says Kowalchik Tekele.

all by herself: Heidi Wing does not look back at all aspects of her career with pleasure. Video: Lucas / Godot. Clip: NRK
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But later came the counter-notice that the 17-year-old had been banned from training with the Polish junior national team. This must have caused major internal turmoil.

Father Sergei Dolidovich said in an interview with the newspaper onet He was shocked by the sudden turn of events. Kowalczyk-Tekieli is also reacting aggressively to how the Dolidowicz family – headed by her daughter Darga – is treated after the Polish biathlon union got a new head this spring.

– Coach Slonina was very happy with the solution and Father Sergei Dolidovich was very grateful for the opportunity Darga had with us. After Waskiewicz finished the post of chief, I took care of the Dolidovich family. But then this happened. I am very sad about the decision that has been made, as Darga will not be allowed to train with the Polish team.

Helping her can give us more advantages than disadvantages in the future. The girls in the Polish junior national team were given an ambitious and powerful teammate to train with. In the past, Latvia’s Patricia Edok has been able to train with the Polish junior national team, with benefits for all parties. Kowalchik Tekele says this case is sad, and Darga’s treatment is abhorrent.

Dagbladet was unsuccessful in contacting the Polish Biathlon Union.

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Najuma Ojukwu

Najuma Ojukwu

"Infuriatingly humble internet trailblazer. Twitter buff. Beer nerd. Bacon scholar. Coffee practitioner."

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