Sergei Tchepikov has died: the two-time Olympic champion was 59 years old

The biathlon world mourns the passing of Sergei Tchepikov. The former Russian athlete, a two-time Olympic champion and a leading figure in the sport for over two decades—first representing the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation—died at the age of 59 after battling a serious illness. The news was announced by the Russian Biathlon Federation.

During his long international career, which began in 1986 and ended in 2007, Tchepikov competed in six Winter Olympic Games, winning two gold medals. His first triumph came in the relay at the 1988 Calgary Games, while in 1994, the biathlete—born in 1967—won the individual sprint at the Lillehammer Games.

In addition to his Olympic achievements, the Russian biathlete was twice crowned world champion, winning the team event in 1989 and the mixed relay in 2006. Between the two phases of his competitive career, he also competed in cross-country skiing, a discipline in which, however, he achieved less significant results than those he attained in biathlon.

After retiring from sports, Tchepikov began his political career, joining the United Russia party—which supports Vladimir Putin—in 2006 and subsequently entering regional and national government. With his passing, biathlon loses one of the most iconic athletes in its recent history, who remained at the top of the international sport for nearly two decades.