Biathlon: a Capercaillie named Lenzi as the mascot of the Lenzerheide World Championships
Every major sporting event has its own mascot. In France, Footix made its mark in 1998 during the Football World Cup, while the Phrygians, at last summer’s Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, have recently found their way into people’s hearts.
Over the next fortnight, at the World Biathlon Championships in Lenzerheide (Switzerland), Lenzi will be the mascot in the Roland Arena. This official mascot represents a capercaillie, an endangered species of gallinaceous bird also known as the capercaillie.
“Lenzi is committed to ensuring that we all care for the habitats of sensitive animal species and respect wildlife sanctuaries,” write the competition organisers about him.
But that’s not all Lenzi is, as he has also succumbed to the fascination of the biathlon. “He trains hard to become a top biathlete himself. His home, close to the Roland Arena, offers him plenty of training opportunities. He combines sport and nature, he explains. He knows what it takes to create an unforgettable biathlon festival and is looking forward to welcoming fans from near and far.”
Some of Lenzi’s comic strip drawings
- The full programme for the World Championships in Lenzerheide, the highlight of the 2024/2025 season
- Tracks, profiles, distances, altitudes, names of key sectors: all the information you need about the tracks used at the Lenzerheide World Championships.
