Shipulin, who was part of the team that lost their gold medal following a doping scandal involving his relay teammate Evgeny Ustyugov, stated that he does not intend to send the medal to the International Olympic Committee.
According to him, he fought for this award, and it belongs to him: "No. I fought for it. This is my medal, I will not give it up," noted the former athlete.
He also added that he might consider returning the medal only if the neutral status for Russian athletes is revoked and national symbols are restored on the international stage.
The reaction from Germany was also notable: German biathlete Erik Lesser pointed out that the medal received by the German team looks new and was likely not returned by the previous holders.
It is worth noting that the redistribution of medals occurred only a few years after the Sochi Olympics as part of ongoing doping investigations.
