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Nominee for acting chief coach of Russia’s biathlon team discusses her plans for future

She received an invitation to take the position of acting chief coach from Alexander Kravtsov, the president of Russian Biathlon Union

© ITAR-TASS/Valeriy Sharifulin

MOSCOW, January 30. /TASS/. Russian biathlon star Olga Zaitseva, who announced her retirement from sports six days ago, is not eyeing any reshuffles after the takes the position of Acting Chief Coach of the Russian national biathlon team. She said it on Friday at a news conference in Moscow.

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Russian two-time Olympic champion in biathlon Olga Zaitseva quits sports

She received an invitation to take the position of acting chief coach from Alexander Kravtsov, the president of Russian Biathlon Union.

"We do far manage only to discuss this position and that’s why it’s too early yet to speak about a team of coaches," Zaitseva said. "In any case, I’m not going to rattle a saber. Real professionals are working with the team and I’m going to join them and to contribute my personal knowledge."

The former biathlete said she would have to learn many new things in her new managerial position.

Zaitseva singled out anti-doping struggle in biathlon as one of the main targets of her efforts as Acting Chief Coach.

"That’s my principle - I’m against doping," she said. "I never used it and I’m not going to use it."

"I’ve always advocated purity of sports and work in that sphere has gotten underway and we’ll continue it," Zaitseva said.

Olga Zaitseva, who won Olympic gold in 2006 and 2010 and Olympic silver in 2014, said on January 24 she had rounded up her career as an athlete. On January 29, she said the Russian Biathlon Union had offered her a job of Acting Chief Coach of the national team and she had given consent to it.

Apart from being the winner of Olympic golds and silver, Zaitseva has also won gold in three world championships. In addition she has two silver medals and three bronze medals from world championships.

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