Ilmars Bricis has been included in the Latvian delegation to coach biathletes Baiba Bendika and Estere Volfa for their final Olympic competitions despite previous controversies.
In the lead-up to their last biathlon competitions at the Olympic Games, Ilmars Bricis has been selected as the coach for Latvian athletes Baiba Bendika and Estere Volfa, as announced by the Latvian Olympic Committee (LOC) through "Sports AvΔ«ze." The team is preparing for a mass start event scheduled for Saturday, and both athletes have already qualified to participate.
The decision to include Bricis comes after a turbulent period, which included a public dispute last year involving biathlete Andrejs Rastorgujevs, who accused Bricis of physical aggression during the world championship. As a consequence of this incident, Rastorgujevs ended his season early due to health issues, while Bricis tendered his resignation. Following an investigation, Bricis was issued a six-month ban in July, which concluded in January. This complex history adds weight to Bricis's recent appointment.
Furthermore, when the LOC announced the composition of the delegation for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, Bricis was notably absent from the list of biathlon coaches, which prompted Bendika and Volfa to express their dissatisfaction publicly. Their open letter emphasized the need for experienced guidance, highlighting the challenges they face as they aim to represent Latvia successfully on the Olympic stage, especially considering the previous controversies surrounding their coach.
