The four-time Olympic champion in biathlon announced her decision on June 25 at a press conference at the National Olympic Committee of Belarus.
“I thought about it for a long time, and it’s time to dot the i’s. I tried to find a compromise that would allow me to raise a child and continue my sports career. Unfortunately, I did not find a solution that would help to combine two such important areas of my life. This decision for me is deliberate and difficult, but I am ending my sports career,” Domracheva said, holding her tears.
Domracheva is married to the famous Norwegian skier Ole Einar Bjørndalen. In 2016 they had a daughter.
At the press conference Domracheva noted that her husband was ready to support her if she decided to continue her sports career.
“But I decided that it would be a difficult period, if I tortured myself and tortured my child,” she said.
Domracheva said that she had not yet decided where her daughter would be educated — in Belarus or Norway. “We still have time to think about it,” she said.
Domracheva stressed that she was satisfied with the results of her sports career:
“I am completing my career with a very good feeling. I am very pleased with how everything happened with me. I’m leaving the winner,” she said.
Journalists asked Domracheva if she was considering returning to the sport after 2-3 years of rest. The biathlonist did not completely rule out such an opportunity. “I think that my current decision is the right one. I do not want to guess what will happen next. ”
Cake for journalists after the pres-conference
The former contract of the famous athlete from the national team of Belarus ends on June 30.