MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/. Tests for the novel coronavirus of a member of the Austrian national biathlon team and two media representatives returned positive results at the 2021 IBU Biathlon World Championships in Slovenia’s Pokljuka, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) press service announced on Wednesday.

A total of 770 people underwent additional testing for the coronavirus infection at the world championship, which runs on February 10-21, and no positive cases were reported among the participating athletes.

As of today, Slovenia is ranked 61st in the world in terms of reported COVID-19 cases, which currently stand at 174,364. More than 3,650 people died of the novel coronavirus infection, while over 156,260 recovered from the illness.

The championship in Pokljuka starts today with the 4x7.5-kilometer mixed relay event. The Russian team lined up for this competition Alexander Loginov, Eduard Latypov, Svetlana Mironova and Ulyana Kaisheva.

Due to current sanctions against Russian sports, the national team of Russian athletes competes at the 2021 Biathlon World Championship under the RBU (the Russian Biathlon Union) flag.

The full name of the Russian Biathlon Union will not be used during the championship and only the abbreviation of the RBU will be allowed. The national biathletes from Russia are also participating at the championship to the tune of the IBU (the International Biathlon Union) anthem.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland’s Lausanne upheld on December 17 WADA’s previous ruling on a number of sanctions against Russian sports.

According to the CAS decision as of December 17, 2020, Russian athletes were deprived of the right to participate in all world championships and Olympic and Paralympic Games under the national flag of Russia for the two-year period.

The national anthem of Russia was also ruled out to be played at international sports tournaments in the course of the next two years, including at the upcoming Olympic Games in Japan this year.

The ruling of the Swiss-based court also stripped Russia of the right to bid for the organization of all international sports tournaments for the period of two years. WADA’s sanctions will be in force until December 2022.